Gajevy Week 2016 - You and I
by CapAleran2
Summary: Seven one shots starring Gajeel and Levy, where anything goes. From swords and shields to modern day antics, and everything in between. Mature for various reasons. Contains lemon(s).
1. Horsin' Around

**AN** : This is for Gajevy Week 2016. I have never written for this in the past, but if you've read my other works on here, then you kinda know my style. If you haven't, please check out my Gajeel and Levy fanfictions!

*I do not own any of the pictures.

*I do not own any of FairyTail - that's all Hiro Mashima.

* * *

 **Gajevy Week** #1 - Horsin' Around

Dressed in jeans he rarely ever wore, Gajeel grumbled under his breath and kept pace behind the blue haired woman. All she had talked about on the way to the rural section of the city was how fun the day was going to be out in the fresh air while on their adventurous outing. Funny, because as they followed the path down to the brown stable from the gravel drive, all Gajeel could smell was a pungent scent he knew wasn't the flowers they had passed.

"Tell me again why we're here?" He asked with an exasperated sigh.

Levy didn't turn around. She merely stared ahead down the path and gave an answer, much like a parent responding to a child. "Because it will be fun."

He growled. "I can think of something else that's fun..."

"Really," Levy began with a roll of her eyes. A tremor shook her backside as his hand made quick contact with her rear, and a deep snicker rolled from his chest.

"Gajeel!" She whipped her head back to glare at him, her expression stern. "Save it."

The smirk grew wider as they neared the barn's wide, open sliding door. "Sure thing, Shorty. But you're gonna owe me after all this."

Levy chose to ignore his comment and strode confidently over the threshold onto the concrete aisle in the center of the large building. The sweet scent of hay and grain filled the air, along with another strong, more powerful odor, which Gajeel noticed immediately upon entering. Hooves thumped and stamped within the rows of stalls. A few large horses' heads were visible over the stall doors and all of them swung their long faces towards the visitors.

"Ooh, they're all so pretty." Levy breathed and reached up to touch the black muzzle of a curious bay. Its upper lip worked the air as it stretched closer to her hand.

"That one is Jasper. He's a young one still."

Turning in the direction of the female voice, Levy saw her friend standing in the doorway of the barn office, holding a set of split reins and a matching colored headstall. The woman's blond hair was pulled back into a braid and her t shirt draped over the waist of her jeans. Her worn boots were adorned with blunted spurs that clinked on the concrete with each step.

"Hey, Lucy! We made it on time!" Levy said enthusiastically. "I brought Gajeel. He's never been riding."

"That's a surprise." Lucy commented. Her lips formed a grin. "Didn't think ya'd be interested in horses."

He grunted. "Come on. How hard can it be?"

Levy exchanged a look with Lucy, and both girls giggled. Laying a hand on Gajeel's arm, Levy lovingly offered, "It's not as easy as some make it out to be, babe."

He frowned as he stared at the leather pieces in Lucy's hands. He crossed his arms over his chest. "What'dya mean? Don't ya just sit there and hold those?"

"What? These?" Lucy asked and held up the reins. "Well, you hold them, but that's just the basics. Horseback riding is involved."

She motioned for the two of them to follow her down the aisle. Her boots and spurs clicked in a steady rhythm. Stopping by another doorway, she led them into a small room. Large heavy saddles rested on racks that were anchored to the wall in a neat order. On another wall were hanging sets of bridles, all in organized rows.

"This is the tack room. It's obviously where the saddles and bridles and other equipment are stored." Lucy explained. She set the headstall on a table in the middle of the room and started to attach the reins to it as she continued. "They're all numbered so it's easy to tell which sets are being used or cleaned."

Gajeel walked over to the racks and listened to the new information as it was given. He pointed to the rows of the lighter looking saddles, ones with a lower front than some of the others. "Why are these different?"

Levy gave Lucy a large smile. She knew her friend loved talking about her horses, but she also hated having to explain things she already knew by heart. She just 'did' and it was difficult for her to relay what her brain understood. But she was patient with the tall man her friend had been dating for some time.

"Those are English saddles. They're lighter than those over there," she pointed to the heavier saddles at the other end of the wall. "The design is best for jumping and other classical types of riding."

"Classical riding? The hell is that?" Gajeel asked with a spat.

"Just forget it, you aren't going to be riding English, you boob." Lucy described with a frown. "The other ones are Western, your go-to for pleasure riding and trail. At least in my opinion. They're more comfortable." She gave Levy a pointed glare and shook her head as she finished her sentence.

The bluenette mouthed the words 'thank you' with a smile. She watched her boyfriend take in the new information with pursed lips and touch the worn leather of a dark brown Western saddle before joining him. She quickly retrieved the numbered bridle of the horse she rode regularly. Her eyes skimmed the numbers and she mumbled to herself ."Where's Custard's saddle?"

Levy's eyes found the number. It was a heavy light brown saddle with a striped saddle blanket, and it was anchored to the wall at eye level. "Gajeel, can you-"

Before all of her words were out of her mouth, he was already there beside her, ever willing to be her source of help. His arm lifted them from the rack with no trouble at all and he carried it as he followed her out the door. Lucy had gone out to get the horses they would be riding from the pastures. She was a ways out, leading a few horses back up the familiar path that led up to the barn.

He set the saddle on top of the blue metal gate and looked down at Levy. She had stepped onto the gate's lowest rung and was leaning on it. An excited expression was plastered there and her teeth showed through her smile.

Although this setting wasn't something he'd choose to do on his own, Gajeel had to admit that it was nice to be out with her on a warm, sunny day. Even if they were shoe deep in shit. He'd always decide to be with her. No matter what they did or where they went. Just witnessing the happiness radiating from her was enough for him to be content wherever the day took him.

"How many times have you come out here?" He asked.

"I used to ride a lot, but I've only been out here a handful of times." She replied easily, and then tied her blue strands back with a hair tie. "The one on Lucy's left is the one I ride. She's a palomino."

He turned back towards the field and watched the lighter colored horse walk calmly next to the blond. The beast was on the small side, with a light yellow-golden coat and had an even lighter mane and tail. The mare's head and neck drooped low beside Lucy in obedience.

"What's the other one?" Gajeel spoke, still staring at them as they approached. His eyes lingered on the black horse on Lucy's other side.

Levy's eyes narrowed. "That's Grimwald. But I don't know why she's bringing him in. He's usually not for first time riders."

The big gelding walked with his large head raised while he looked around. The lead rope was attached to the halter that had been slipped over his head. He walked along like the mare, but there was something in his stride, something that spoke a lot about the beast's personality.

Lucy reached the gate and led the two horses to the round pen a few yards from the barn. She tied the leads in a quick release knot and turned to her friends. "Gajeel, this is Grimwald. We just call him Grim. He's the biggest horse we have right now for you to ride. Alright, let's grab some brushes."

Once they each had the grooming supplies, Lucy explained what to do for Gajeel. Levy started to work over Custard's golden coat. The bristles of the large body brush loosened and brushed away bits of dirt and loose hair. She made quick work of it on both sides and then went to check on Gajeel's progress.

The man had one side done, but he kept watching Grimwald's round hindquarters. He inched closer to the dock of the tail, and frowned when the gelding poised a leg and tilted his hoof down into the ground. Gajeel saw Levy near him, so he pointed to the horse's hind leg with the brush and asked, "What's he doin'?"

"Oh, he's just resting it. He's relaxed." Levy commented. She stared curiously up at his head. She had thought Grimwald was labeled as a handful, too rough sometimes to handle under saddle. But now he stood very quietly for her boyfriend. It was surprising. Maybe the gelding wasn't as bad as he had been in the past.

"He ain't gonna kick me or anything, right?"

"He can't with that foot in that position, he'll have to move it to kick. You're fine." She saw his uncertainty and held out her hand. "I can do the rest if you want."

Gajeel shook his head and palmed the brush. "Go mess with your own horse, Shorty."

He took an excessively wide step around the horse's back end and finished the other side of his black coat. When he was done, he noticed that Lucy already had her chestnut gelding saddled and bridled. The horse looked very different from before, with the saddle cinched around his girth and with reins draped over his neck. He calmly stood there, waiting until Lucy had need of him.

With Levy showing him step by step, Gajeel successfully tightened the saddle's cinch around Grimwald's gerth, and pulled the bridle over his head. He took a step back to gaze at his work. The black horse turned his head so his big eye could look at him.

Levy was already mounted and guiding the palomino through the open gate into the arena. Lucy was in the middle of it ground working her gelding with a lunge line. The tacked up chestnut was loping in a small circle around the blond, and pivoted on his hind hoof when Lucy stepped into his path to redirect him.

Not knowing exactly what to do, Gajeel strode to the gate towing the black horse behind him. He watched Levy and Custard trot once around the arena's perimeter. The mare's easy gait was a gentle jog, just barely picking up her hooves and setting them down softly into the dirt. He waited until Levy approached and she lifted the reins a few inches to signal the mare to halt.

"Aren't you coming in?" She asked and nodded to the gelding standing behind him.

"Yea, Shorty, hold your horses." He voiced, and his eyes followed her as she nudged the mare back into a trot. He brought the reins over the gelding's head and mounted, setting himself into the saddle with a plop.

Although he was tall already, Gajeel felt even taller as he sat atop Grimwald. The horse began to walk into the arena, veering off to the right and towards the middle. Gajeel tried to turn him by pulling the rein to the right, but the gelding went wherever he wanted.

Levy saw that he was having a bit of difficulty in directing the horse beneath him where to go. "Turn him, Gajeel." She shouted from across the pen.

"I'm trying," he growled and kicked Grimwald's sides. The horse ignored him and continued leisurely walking towards the closed gate on the opposite side. Gajeel pulled on the reins again and growled. "Come on, ya black mule. Move yer ass."

Grimwald's ears flicked back and forth and sped up into a rough trot. Grimacing, Gajeel groaned as his manhood hit the hard leather with each fall of the horse's stride. He tried to adjust his seat, but he couldn't do that and keep himself from potentially fall out of the saddle. His free hand wrapped around the saddle horn with a clenched jaw.

Lucy had mounted and was riding beside Levy. She watched with concern and yelled, "Bend his head to your leg with the reins!"

Gajeel did what she said, but instead of coming to a stop, Grimwald kicked out and tore his head away from the man's grip on the leather connecting him and caught the bit between his teeth. The black beast moved into a quick lope and started bucking in an attempt to rid himself of his rider.

From his uneven seat, Gajeel struggled to stay in the saddle as the horse's faster gait threatened to dismount him. They rushed past Levy and Lucy, and he saw at a snap glance their horrified expressions. Both women were motionless and couldn't look away as the horse rode away with the black haired man.

"Whoa, easy!" Gajeel shouted, his arm flailing. The gelding threw his head down between his front legs, and kicked up his hind legs. "I said whoa, dammit!"

Grimwald continued his bucking, an angry squeal escaping his throat with ears pinned against his head. He jerked to the left and then to the right, his deliberate actions throwing Gajeel off balance. The man quickly regained it, and dug his heels into the beast's side in an attempt to stay on.

The whites of Grimwald's eyes could be seen now, and he rushed off towards the girls at a near gallop, bucking all the while. Gajeel pursed his lips and yanked on the reins, twisting the black's head around until his black muzzle touched Gajeel's boot. The horse's balance faltered, and he had to swing his opposite foreleg out in an exaggerated stride as to keep from falling.

Grimwald let out a distressed sound and followed the rein pressure. Levy sucked in a gasp as she watched Gajeel work through the difficulty. He seemed to have a good seat, considering that he'd never ridden prior to today and that with all the intense bucking, he had managed to stay in the saddle.

Loping slowly in a small circle, Grimwald finally slowed to a jog before he came to a stop. Gajeel took a deep breath and glanced over to where Levy and Lucy sat on their horses.

"What are ya trying to do to me, blondie? Why'dja give me a spastic horse for!"

"What, you think I did it on purpose?! He's not normally like that! Maybe your personalities clashed or something!" Lucy shouted with a frown plastered on her face.

The large man glared at her. "Clashed, my ass. He damn near tried to kill me!"

He flicked the reins and touched the gelding's sides with his heels, signaling for the beast to walk on. The black's ears flickered back as he listened to his rider, aware of the confidence now instilled within the man atop.

Lucy turned to Levy. "That was kinda impressive. I didn't think he'd stay on."

"I heard that." Gajeel called, still making his horse jog circles as if he had been riding all his life.

"You know what I mean," Levy supplied as her palomino made its way towards her boyfriend. "You could be in the rodeo busting broncos with a seat like that."

Lucy snorted and urged her horse forward. "He could have been one of the clowns maybe."

Gajeel chuckled. "Just jealous that Natsu ain't into the rodeo scene."

A blush tinted Lucy's cheeks, and she shook her head and frowned. "You idiot. You don't know what you're talking about."

His horse sidled up to the chestnut. "Apparently I do. I stayed in the saddle, didn't I?"

Lucy heard the smart remark in his tone. She glanced to Levy, who shook her head. She smiled and nodded at the question in Lucy's expression. She turned to Gajeel and fixed her blond braid a moment before shoving him hard in the shoulder. The sudden contact pushed Gajeel past his balance and before he could scramble for the saddle horn, he was tumbling over the other side.

He landed on the dirt with a thud and rubbed his right shoulder. His foot was still in the stirrup, the only thing not on the ground. Lucy grabbed hold of Grimwald's reins and burst out laughing. Levy rushed to make sure he was alright before she joined in with her own giggles.

Gajeel scowled and brushed the dirt from his shirt and jeans, then moved to remount. "Yea, yea, get it all out now..."


	2. Smoke On The Water

**AN** : This is for Gajevy Week 2016. I have never written for this in the past, but if you've read my other works on here, then you kinda know my style. If you haven't yet, please check out my Gajevy fanfictions!

*I do not own any of the pictures.

*I do not own any of FairyTail - that's all Hiro Mashima.

*Reader discretion is advised*

* * *

 **AN:** Just a head's up, this theme is of what some would consider "scandalous"...

 **Gajevy Week** #2 - Smoke on the Water

"Just relax, Short Stuff." Gajeel stated with a calm drawl. He stretched out on the yellow pool float with his arm behind his head and took a long puff of the stuffed paper that was pinched between his fingers.

Smoke curled up from the end of the homemade cigarette and the white cloud seamlessly joined in the air with the smoke he breathed out through his parted lips. He rubbed his bare chest with closed eyes, contentedly soaking in the heat from the sun's brilliantly shining rays.

The sensation of drifting in any particular direction gently rocked Gajeel's float, turning him like a slow rotisserie on the water's glassy surface. Feeling more than heard a small disturbance that radiated out from the grassy bank, he cracked one eye open to see Levy tentatively glancing around the surrounding wooded environment.

In her hands was a towel, and her exclusive parts were covered with a striped, two-piece swimsuit. She frowned and he could see the gulp she took as she withdrew her foot from the pond water.

"Oh, come on." Gajeel groaned. He turned his head back to its previous position to rest against the built in pillow.

She briefly locked gazes with him before her eyes shifted to her left. "I'm not sure about this, Gajeel."

"You're never sure about anything. I always have to make ya do shit."

She frowned. "That's not true."

Gajeel snorted and kept his eyes closed. "Whatever."

"What if we get caught?"

He breathed out a puff of white smoke. "What's the old fart gonna do? Tell us to take our floaties elsewhere?"

Levy sent him a leveled look even though he wouldn't see it. "That's not what I meant."

"I know what you meant."

She swallowed and set the towel down beside her in the grass by her sandals. "So?"

"So, what?"

"So it's a bad idea."

He lifted his head and peered over his shoulder at her. His rough voice made it apparent that he had been smoking, and he growled, "Just get in the damn water, Levy."

"But-"

"Levy."

"What." The blue haired woman snapped. She crossed her arms and waited for his no doubt sarcastic remark.

She had no qualms to swimming in Makarov's pond, especially that he had given them permission to do so. It was one of her favorite summer activities. However, Gajeel had managed to get his hands on something she considered inappropriate. But then, he was always somewhat of a troublemaker. She didn't want to potentially get caught with it on their persons.

Gajeel held up the rest of his joint and spoke loudly. "I'm gonna smoke this till it's gone. If you ain't in by that time…"

It was her turn to snort. She brushed the material of her headband away from her neck as she stared at him. Sweat accumulated on her skin and pooled into the crevice of her collar bone. It would feel incredibly good to slip under the cool water. Looking at the large, calm form sprawled on the float, she wanted to wade out to him, kiss him and relax into his huge frame. But when her brown eyes fell on the paper wrapped green between his fingers, she faltered.

She had never smoked in all her life and had told the dark haired man that when he had offered her one once the truck was parked. He had said nothing as he lit the tight paper and inhaled while shifting his gaze from her to their green surroundings. He had then pulled out the flat, yellow pool float out from his truck bed to set on the water. And as he smoked the last of it now, she was curious. He was relaxed, and not so tensed as usual, but she was convinced it was the quiet water's rocking and warm sun.

"Don't make me come get you, Shorty." He threatened lazily.

His lips curved up into a mischievous smile. He was laying still, the float was drifting somewhere close to the pond's middle. The only thing that moved was his arm bringing the rolled, smoking stub to his mouth.

"I don't want to smoke." She stated clearly, her arms bracing herself as she leaned back.

"Who said you had to?"

She bit her bottom lip. "Well, no one, but I just thought that-"

Gajeel rustled on the float and focused on her, cutting off her sentence. Large ripples expanded in the water from underneath him as he abruptly moved his arm. "Get in and come here."

With a raised chin, Levy continued to sit in the tall grass. She pursed her lips and her brows furrowed. Why did she let him talk to her like that? The man was rough -sometimes too rough- with his speech towards her. Towards everyone. He inadvertently rubbed others the wrong way. It wasn't Gajeel's intention. Though with the way his eyes narrowed intensely at her now, she could very well read his thoughts.

With one last puff, he flicked the small stub out into the water some feet away and then slipped off the floaty, splashing the water as he entered the serene pool. He appeared and shook the water from his face, the cool, clear liquid flying in all directions. Black hair plastered itself to his forehead and neck. Red eyes locked onto Levy's brown ones. Their seriousness radiated to her like a laser.

"Don't you dare." She firmly clipped, enunciating every word. He paid no attention to her objection and made a beeline to the bank where she sat.

"Gajeel. I'm warning you..."

He grinned slightly. "You're warning me now?"

Levy watched his actions like a cornered feline, a look of shock spread as she realized that he wasn't going to stop. She started to scramble backwards through the rough, tall grass only to bump into the large cooler they had brought along for the day. Her small hands raised in the air before her, but they were swiftly swatted away with larger, rougher ones. Her voice yelled out as he touched her to scoop up her womanly figure. "No, please don't!"

A deep rumble started in his chest as he wrapped his thick arms around her, picking her up and settling her squirming body against his chest. Her hands smacked his skin and he squeezed her tighter as he splashed through to deeper water.

"Gajeel! You beast! Put me down!" She frantically cried, her head whipping around to peer over his shoulder at the water below.

"Should I throw you in?" He asked with a raised brow.

Her arms tightened around his neck, and she pressed her slim figure even more into him. "Don't throw me in! Let me down!"

He poised to drop her with a mischievous grin.

"On the floaty." Levy demanded. Her voice managed to lose the quake with sudden confidence. She narrowed her eyes and they stared at one another until he stood still with the water up to his waist.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, hell. Fine. Don't want Miss Priss to drown."

Levy ignored his comment. Once she was set rear first onto the yellow floaty, she relaxed somewhat. She tilted her head up to him, an annoyed expression present. "I can swim, I'd just prefer not to."

"Right." Gajeel drawled before fully dipping beneath the water.

Levy watched the spot where he disappeared. She sighed and leaned back onto the float. The air was a little cooler out on the water, though she wished she had had her sunglasses when Gajeel brought her here. The sunlight glistened off the water and it hurt her eyes.

The view from the pond was similar to the one on the water's edge. But from here, Levy saw everything like looking at a panoramic picture. She saw everything from a different perspective. It seemed as though she was a tiny onlooker in a huge, sparkling world with no concern for her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. They both had been at the pond in the past with their friends, but this time it was only the two of them. It was different. Almost intimate. Maybe this was what Gajeel had been talking about when he suggested the place for their day trip.

The sounds of water tinkled somewhere off to the side. She didn't let her eyes flutter open, knowing that it was Gajeel coming up for air. She didn't want to open her eyes, she could have fallen asleep there as the water's movement rocked her.

There was no one speaking, no jobs, no responsibilities. There was just silence.

Drops of water hit her skin and the sound of a large splash disrupted her tranquility. She tensed and looked to her left and saw Gajeel smiling at her just a foot away. "Enjoying the quiet?"

"Yes," she breathed, her eyes taking in the sight of his glistening body. It made her insides tighten. She looked him in the eye, motioning to the yellow beneath her. "I thought you were going to flip me in."

He shook his head, sending water droplets everywhere. "Nah, I've got two more rolls here, I ain't gonna waste them."

He set a hand next to the cup holder. Two rolled papers and a black lighter were sitting upright within it. He then leaned in towards her, his hands braced lightly on the float. He placed a kiss on her hair, which was warmed from the sun. Levy turned her face up to him and he kissed her lips, lingering for a second longer.

With his lips touching her, he murmured, "But I'm gonna flip ya before the sun goes down."

Levy gave a nervous giggle at his words and withdrew her head from him. A large smile moved her mouth against her will. "Oh really?"

He chased her head with his own as she spoke, trying to catch her lips again. Her hands braced against his shoulders and she ducked her head away from his face. Her giggles remained as she tried to distance herself from him. Gajeel fought his way through her weak defences and licked her cheek. He straightened with a victorious expression.

She made a disgusted sound and wiped at her skin with the back of her hand.

"You thirsty?"

She nodded, and he waded towards their cooler. He dug through the mountain of ice inside the large container. "What'dya want?"

"Umm. I brought my tea, right?"

He made a sound and held up the bottle, then looked over his shoulder. At her nod, he dug for his favorite soda that was buried at the bottom. When he neared Levy on the float, he handed her the tea, but not before opening it for her. She took a drink and placed it in the free cup holder on her right.

Gajeel cracked open the can, took a large swig, and picked up the three items in the other holder to replace them with the can. Putting one of them between his lips, he lit it. He offered Levy the other. "Finally gonna?"

Levy crossed her arms, the motion puffing up her breasts. "I wish you didn't have those."

"But I do. Too late to cry about it now." He said and the white smoke seeped through his lips with his words. He moved to his back to float beside the floaty. He set the last unlit one on his chest, its own little island of dry skin.

"Gajeel…" Her tone was a warning.

"For fuck's sake, Levy. I'm a grown ass man. Least it's not a pack of marlboros."

She bit her cheek. He was right. If he didn't have his own, he usually bummed a few off the others who did. Natsu was notorious for supplying Gajeel with them. Levy had pleaded with her boyfriend to quit, and although he had tried, he couldn't shake the habit. He was now down to a single few a day. It wasn't nearly as many as he used to smoke, so Levy ease up in her objections. Now he was trying some new, natural alternatives to the cigarettes.

The white smoke that escaped from his mouth hit her senses. It was a strong, earth scent. It reminded her of the outdoors. When she took a deep breath of the fresh air, the unlit rolls smell akin to the plants she that surrounded her while laying in the grass. Since he had started smoking the new stuff, his normal coughing had died down to near exinction. He breathed easier both while he smoked and when he wasn't.

He looked at her and deliberately blew the exhaled cloud in her direction. It hit her in the face and she frowned and held out her hand. "Just give it."

"You aren't gonna break it or throw it in the water, right."

"No, but don't tempt me."

With a raise of his eyebrow, he handed Levy the last roll and the lighter, thinking she would put it in the cup holder away from his grasp. But to his surprise, the blue haired woman stuck it beneath her plump, glossed lips and flicked the lighter's flame on the end. She lit it and paused, unsure what to do even though she had watched Gajeel a thousand times prior.

Gajeel smirked and put his arms behind his head. "Suck in like yer taking a breath."

She took a deep breath and once she started to breath out, a series of coughs racked her small shoulders. She held the rolled paper away from her and made a face. Her fingers pressed on her neck. "It burns… I can't believe you do this regularly." She coughed again.

He chuckled and reached up to rub a hand on her shin. "Well since you don't like it, I haven't been as much."

"I thought you did? I smelled smoke on you every time you came home."

"Yea I smell it like it, it doesn't mean I do though. The smoke clings to yer clothes if you're around it."

She nodded and inspected it in her fingers. "So Natsu."

He nodded and took his hand back. "He says he can't quit the packs. He's tried too many times and failed."

"I bet Lucy's beyond irritated with that." Levy mumbled.

"You gonna take another puff or what?" He asked, indicating to the smoking paper in her hands.

She giggled and timidly took a drag. She coughed, the motion sending small ripples out from underneath the pool floaty. Her coughs soon turned into laughs. Gajeel let out a deep chortle, his own sending ripples out through the water. "That was a big one."

He lifted his soda can from his holder and finished it. With both their smokes finished, he contentedly stared at her. His eyes scanned her beautiful facial features, down to her torso and legs. She was perfect. In more ways than one. He rose from his floating and leaned towards her to brush his lips against her thigh in a rough kiss.

"What was that for?" Levy asked happily.

His intense stare answered for him. He wasn't one for many unnecessary words. And that went for showing emotions and feelings as well. He was usually a stone: silent and unwavering. But when it came to her, Levy had realized long ago, his stone like qualities would begin to crumble. Even though he usually did not show her his love with his expressions or actions, she felt it like some kind of telepathy energy.

She knew deep inside that he loved her. His rough and tough exterior only broke down for her.

Her smile deepened and she gazed at him, and her hand reached out to touch his wet hair near his temple. "I love you, too."

His mouth twitched. The bare grin was enough for her. He then tensed up and a sly smirk appeared in the grin's place. Levy's smile disappeared as she saw his hands grab hold of yellow float beneath her and she instinctively cried out.

"Gajeel! Stop!"

He swiftly jerked up and flipped her into the water. She screamed as she fell and splashed into the pond. When she appeared with her blue locks stuck to her skin and plastered against her face, she heard Gajeel's deep roar of laughter. The float was a few feet to his right where he had attempted to fling it. He saw Levy stare him down with daggers for eyes.

"I love you, Shorty. Oh, that was good." He supplied in between his dying chortles.

Her scowl slowly faded and her lips turned up at the corners. He had said he was going to do it to her at some point. She waved her arm towards him, skimming the water with the swoop. A large fan of water hit him in the face, abruptly ending his chuckles. He quickly sent a splash at her as he started forwards, intent on catching her before she fled.

Her giggles became louder as he rushed after her as fast as he could through the waist high water. He lunged for her, his fingertips clamping down on her bare skin below her skimpy top. A playful scream loosed from her mouth before another bout of giggles replaced it. He pulled her body to himself and he nipped at her neck. His mouth found hers and he held her there, his hand holding her head up.

She made a relaxed sound through her mouth as he kissed her, and her hands at his waist pulled herself closer to him. She was very happy that Gajeel had driven them out to one of her favorite spots for the day. He had planned to fish after they ate their lunch while she read her book, and they would most likely end up staying until dark. Neither gave it another thought. Wherever they were or would go, it didn't matter to them as long as they were together.


	3. This Sword Was Battleborne

**AN** : This is for Gajevy Week 2016. I have never written for this in the past, but if you've read my other works on here, then you kinda know my style. If you haven't, please check out my Gajevy fanfictions!

*I do not own any of the pictures.

*I do not own any of FairyTail - that's all Hiro Mashima.

* * *

 **AN** : This made up prompt could be synonymous to the original Song prompt. It's a long one. Try to think "roman times", not so much medieval. The song is Battleborne by Two Steps From Hell (not the instrumental version).

 **Gajevy Week** #3 - This Sword Was Battleborne

Admiring the new silk dress she now adorned, Levy ran her hand down her front. The cool material slipped smoothly under her fingers. The lilac color was different from the dull tones she normally wore, thinking any vibrant hues would draw too much attention. Only the royals wore such clothing. Being a young, available lady, she loathed the obvious stares she received from the single men; she was sure they only wanted her for the status she would give them by marriage.

The last one who attempted to ask for her hand had seemed worthy with potential. But his position in the legion called him away on a lengthy deployment, and thus ending the prospective match. Since then, no other man had seemed to surpass him in looks and manners.

Turning around, she looked at the woman behind her. "Do you think it's too… bright?"

The blond woman combed her hair with her fingers, stroking the long curls that laid over her breasts. A silver clip studded with a red jewel kept her braid in place over her head. "No. It's not. It's beautiful. You must trust me."

"I do…"

The blond snorted. "You do not."

She rose from her seat by the window of the large house. The long, red silk dress draped behind her with its short train. Transparent material covered her arms in a shawl, and it trailed the ground along with the dress. She placed one hand on Levy's arm. "You're not trusting t if you question."

Levy sighed. "I imagine I'll ever see him again."

Lucy squeezed her friend's arm. "Don't think like that. True, you may never see that man again. He could die while on doing his duty."

Levy turned to Lucy with a horrified expression.

"I said could. But there are many upstanding gentleman here in the city who would absolutely love the chance to know and marry one of the House's available ladies. All of whom have high lineage. Most of military background. One may even replace him. You never know just who or when it will be."

Her words caused a smile to slip onto Levy's face. The two of them started the day by strolling through the streets in the morning -although attended by Lucy's father's guards- and through the markets, enjoying the time away from the main House. They looked every bit of the regal blood that flowed through their veins, from their bright dresses and jewelry to the way they carried themselves in the city streets.

Stares and whispers were thrown around the people at the sight of the two women, knowing the two men with them were assigned to escort them. Stares both in awe and contempt. Whispers both in truth and gossip. Both men and women murmured to one another as they passed. "That's the daughter of the Dominus."

"Her father holds the most gruesome of gladiator fights. Blood is always spilled there."

"Who's that with her? The Dominus' Ward? Her father was a royal blood, wasn't he?"

"Why are they out on this side of the city? There's nothing here but slaves and common folk."

"I heard he paid a high price for one of his champion gladiators. I wonder which one it is."

The whispers never neared the women, but all the same, the people were careful to stay away and admire from a distance. They would see them at the games every week, sitting safely in the hosting Dominus' canopied box above the dirt arena. Away from the swords, from the flying spital and squirting bloodshed that frequented the battle area. Such a grisly thing for the children of the highborne to have grown up to witness.

They passed a tavern on their stroll. The sign above the entrance was one Levy recognized by word of mouth. Levy slipped from Lucy's side and stopped at the window to peer inside. The establishment was very busy for the time of day. It was still mid morning, and there was already a crowd swarming the bartop and nearby tables. She heard a catchy tune being sung by the mass of people inside, but the words were lost with so many joining in with their voices, and the drum like sound from hands and feet hitting the tables and floor.

The display was interesting to her. The band of men and women enjoyed the merriment together reminded her of a close knit family. She heard some chanting someone's name. What it was, she couldn't quite catch. She looked over her shoulder to see Lucy waving to her. Reluctantly, Levy complied. Once she reached her friend, she said, "Those people were singing and chanting someone's name."

Lucy nodded and rolled her eyes. "Yes. They do that. It's about one of my father's champions."

"Really?" Levy breathed.

"Mhm. They love him. Some say he used to fight in the legion, but he won't confirm it. He's very mysterious. That man is their favorite of the gladiators."

With that, Lucy's attention wandered elsewhere, leaving Levy alone to ponder her words. The guards guided the girls back to the main House, as the hour was fast approaching for the weekly tournament. The guards quickly saluted as Lucy's father came into view on the landing at the top of the stairs of the massive, marble room. Thick, white pillars stood solidly to hold up the roof above on either side of the steps.

"Sir." The guards said in unison.

The man nodded to them and turned his attention to his daughter and ward. A blue tunic was draped over his white toga, and a yellow cord was tied around his waist. He held the excess material, draped over his arm. "Lucy, my dear. We were just about to head down to the Slave quarters. I want to preview how my fighters are faring before the contest. Come, you may join us."

His words were not slurred, but she knew he had been drinking. He always did before the fights. As was custom, he would say. She grabbed Levy's hand and quickly followed the men.

"I don't know if I want to see the gladiators." Levy said nervously as they advanced towards the Slave's housing. She was used to viewing the intimidating men from their seats. To be in their territory frightened her.

"They cannot touch you. There's a strict punishment if any slave lays a hand on a member of the Dominus' House. You have nothing to worry about." Lucy reassured as they entered the building.

Lit torches were secured in the brackets on the walls to give more light. Cold iron bars kept the male slaves in their respective areas, and laid a safe middle aisle to walk through the gladiator barracks. The two young women halted behind the Dominus and the guards.

There before them was a large room filled with racks of weaponry and practice dummies of straw filled sackcloth. Many heavily muscled men barely clothed stood holding the swords in hand and fighting one another or hacking away on the dummies. Some didn't have weapons and opted to use their fists instead. The firelight and the sunlight from the various open windows revealed sheens of sweat glistening on most of their naked torsos. It was dank and smelled musty, and the odor was overwhelming.

Levy wrapped her arm through Lucy's as she timidly looked around. She felt the need to avert her eyes when they ran across the nearly naked men who practiced their fighting styles. They stared back at their audience. Whether in respect or contempt, Levy didn't want to find out. She felt like an intruder.

"Lanista, I presume everything is in order. Every man is ready?" The Dominus asked. He faced a similarly dressed man as himself.

The man in charge of his slaves smiled. "They are more than ready. Natis and Gravius have improved dramatically. The Panther is also very promising. He may surpass your champion."

Dominus' lips twisted into a skeptical grin. "My champion? I highly doubt that. He's a like machine."

"Anything can happen in the arena, Dominus."

The man's grin deepened. "We shall soon see."

Lanista's face grew more serious, and he leaned in towards Dominus. His eyes shifted between the man's eyes, speaking low enough for only the two of them. "Have you heard anything on the Roman rebels?"

Dominus frowned, knowing where the bit of conversation was headed. "No, I have not. The last I heard, they were hidden away somewhere in the city. The location has yet to be discovered."

"They disguise themselves as slaves, others as servants. There's been word that they've turned to target you."

The slave owner scowled and growled. "How do you know this?"

"Do not let your daughter and ward from your sights." Lanista firmly stated. "There's been hearsay that the rebels are planning to kill members of the highborne families. You are in direct service to the Romans, your House could be in danger."

Dominus' frown deepened. He had known Lanista since they served together in the legions many years prior. What the man relayed to him he took as truth. He had to be careful indeed. He nodded with a glance over his shoulder at the two young women behind him.

Lucy giggled and gazed at one of the massive slaves near the iron bars. The man's short hair was cut close to his head. His eyes swept over her dress as if he could see underneath the material. Levy's cheeks heated when she realized there were eyes on her too. She fingered her blue strands that fell in front of her and was glad that the curled parts covered the excess amount of cleavage.

She leaned over to Lucy, who was still flirting with the man behind the bars. "W-where is your father's champion?"

"He prefers to be alone." The blond replied in a drawl, and then she turned her attention to another slave to intentionally create a tension between the fighters.

"Doesn't he prepare for the tournament?" Shock was clear in her voice. Half of them would be dead by the end of the night, and his mystery man chose not to hone his skills. It was as if he had a death wish.

Lucy gave a light laugh and fixed Levy's sparkling hair clip positioned in her curls. "Levy, it is quite apparent that you need to attend more matches. Everyone knows he doesn't have to prepare."

"But what if I do not wish to?"

"You are royalty. You must." Lucy's tone was gentle, as if she were comforting a small child. She let go of her to inch a little closer to the iron bars that separated her from the slaves now ignoring them.

"But these weekly fights. It's hideous and unnecessary. Good men die for a silly game who could otherwise serve in the legion." Levy countered. She stood in place and rubbed her arms in a self hug. Her body language exposed her uneasiness, her words her conscience.

Behind her in a part of the room where there was hardly any light was a stirring. The sound of skin sliding upon the hard pale stone that made up the building came to her ears. Snapping her head around to face the side she hadn't yet seen, Levy peered into the darkness. She saw a large form sitting on a built in shelf in the wall. No distinct features could be detected. Only a dark shape against the dark backdrop.

She quickly looked away, the breath fully expelling from her lungs. Lucy's father had turned to leave and bid the two young ladies to follow him, expressing that it was nearly time to find their viewing balcony. The slave barracks was located next to the city's colosseum. A dull roar could be heard from the great stadium. The people had filled it up in no time, and all were now waiting for the royal house to arrive.

Levy followed Lucy onto the roofed balcony, seeing their designated seats facing the vast colosseum bottom. As soon as the Dominus appeared, there was cheering. He lowered himself into his centered chair, and the cheering began again, more loudly. He raised his hand and the tournament began.

A man beside their seats bellowed out the introductions and names of the first gladiators, the people's cheering never dissolving. It only intensified as the men entered the arena. A pink haired man with light armor on his upper body strode into the center to face the balcony. He held a Secutor helmet in one hand and his gladius in the other. He lifted his helmet to the crowd before putting it on.

The other darker haired man brandished a sica and a shield on the opposite arm. He shoved the giffen helmet over his head and faced the Dominus. Both men wore cotton segments tied to their striking arms over their shoulders, which added some minimal protection. The signal to begin was flashed and the two men turned on each other.

The Secutor inched closer to the other, each one making sure their footing would not slip in the sand. He struck out with his gladius, only to have his opponent raise his shield to block the strike. Soon his gladius nicked the other's shoulder, signalling first blood.

Levy glanced away from the fight as it intensified. She looked over at her companions. Their eyes followed the fighters below with interest. She could never get into the matches the way the Dominus and his daughter did. At the sight of blood, Levy would get queasy. And when the fights ended and the victorious gladiator paused to watch for which way the Dominus' Editor would point his thumb, she prayed the game's referee would choose to give mercy. However, it almost always ended with the beheading of the lesser man.

To Levy's surprise, the first matched ended with one of the gladiators throwing up a missio for surrender. The fighting slave held up his hand, his forefinger and middle finger held together with the rest clenched. The Editor sighed, and nodded, granting the mercy plea. There were mixing cheering and booing, but soon the massive crowd moved on to the next match.

The day grew on and the fights continued. Levy tried not to show her boredom, and indulged herself when the servants brought platters of food. She ate quietly and her eyes gazed around the stadium, observing the people and listening to the quiet murmurs of conversation going on around her. It was hard to ignore the squirting blood when a sword or axe or spear bit into flesh, as the balcony was only several feet from the arena sand. She knew she was safe, but to be that close to death was a little unnerving.

As she finished her pomegranate and set the peelings aside, she grew interested when the crowd's cries died down. Lucy turned to her, an excitement in her bright eyes. The announcer declared the last match as the champion round, and introduced the match's opponent, a heavy built man captured into slavery in the southern parts of a neighboring country. He confidently walked into the center. He had light skin and scars that covered on his body. Instead of cotton protection, he had metal segments secured over his shoulders. A small shield covered his non striking arm.

Levy wondered if this was the Dominus' champion. She leaned back over to Lucy to ask.

The blond shook her head. "You will know when the House's champion fighter enters. The people love him as well. He has more than earned his freedom, and my father has told him more than once that he is free to leave. He just doesn't."

Levy frowned. "You mean he likes to fight?"

"I don't think he _likes_ it."

"Then why not leave? If he is a freed man, why risk his life for a man who does not own him?" Levy could not understand what could compel a slave to choose to stay essentially in enslavement. He could walk out whenever the desire struck him.

"Do not ask me, I'm as baffled as you are. Father is thinking of making him a guard at least, so he's not living in the same conditions as the slaves. There's a mutual trust between them. He's done nothing to draw attention to himself other than surviving countless battles, both here in the colosseum and on the battlefield. Or so it is believed."

Levy raised an eyebrow at Lucy's words. She had said the champion would not confirm the statements that claimed he served in the legion. What if he was hiding from something. Or someone. Levy found that her eyes were drawn to the gate where the mysterious man would appear. A nervous excitement began to claim her.

The announcer started the introduction to the long awaited public figure. The cries and cheers of everyone present exploded, sounding like an army ready to go to war. Rumbling in the stadium turned into one cohesive drumming pattern and the cries grew silent until the only thing heard was the steady, intricate cadence.

"What's going on?" Levy asked curiously.

"Shh. You'll see." Lucy replied in a whisper.

"See what?"

Lucy motioned to the arena. "It's his song."

"He has a song?" Levy asked loudly, her voice rising in disbelief.

Lucy shushed her again with a frown and grabbed her arm, making the bluenette face the sand. Then the people began to sing with the drumming cadence. When the song began, the gate from which the champion would emerge slowly opened.

 _"Oh! There is fire in the air that I'm breathing_

 _There is blood where the battles rage_

 _These are faces I will not remember._

 _Will I fight for the queen or the slave?_

 _The treacherous part_

 _To claim with our heart of courage..."_

A body in the shadows could be seen advancing into the arena towards the sunlight.

 _"Where the wind from the North bodes the Dragon…"_

A roar from some of the crowd erupted as a massively muscled man strode into the light. The shadows cast against the sand slowly revealed him in the sunlight. He wore only metal manica segments on both shoulders that connected to the leather bracers on his forearms. The metal pieces were strong enough to protect from certain sword nicks, but showed most of his arms. His chest was bare, exposing the rippling abdominal shape. Around his waist was a maroon cloth that showed most of his thickly muscled thighs, and a leather belt that held it into place. Greaves covered his legs from the knees down.

He carried two short swords, and that was it. No shield. No helmet. His eyes swept across the stadium seating. His black hair was cut short on the sides as it would be for a soldier, but a thick strip down the middle was left untouched, a few inches longer than the rest. The hairstyle closely resembled a roman helmet with plumage. His mouth was slack and he stared emotionlessly up at those seated under the canopy.

 _"And the armies and legions have formed_

 _We have camped for the night fully covered_

 _Fading ghosts in the shadows of war._

 _Battleborne!_

 _Battleborne!..."_

Levy stared transfixed at what she saw. The man was extremely handsome, his features clear to her. He stood several feet away, and with his face void of any sign of nervousness or excitement, she could tell that when he would smile, he would be even more handsome. Her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened.

The large man gazed directly at her. His lips moved with the lyrics of the last verse as the singing continued. No doubt he learned the song from the countless times having to fight. Or enjoying the occasion. He seemed comfortable, ignoring the opponent itching to start the match.

 _"Gone. All the villagers let out to pasturing_

 _The black wing of death as their liege_

 _Felt the ground_

 _It was bare from the plunder_

 _Soldiers that lie at my feet_

 _The maidens were lost_

 _Wading across an ocean_

 _On a ship heading south to the mainland…"_

The man's name was Gajeel. Levy repeated it in her head as she stared at his figure, from his face to his bare torso, and the thick, ready limbs. He acted differently than the others before him. He was steady, standing erect like a soldier at attention. There was no riling of the crowd, nor was there any instigating on his part towards the other gladiator present.

His eyes kept Levy in their sight. She sat forward. The insecurity she had previously felt at his piercing gaze was now gone. She thought the song's lyrics fit him. Like they were about him. They were him. As the last few lines neared, Gajeel's voice raised with his own singing. She could see that his confidence rolled from him, into his stance, into the weapons gripped at his sides.

 _"I am standing in wake of the storm_

 _I was raised by the wolf and the stallion._

 _This sword was battleborne."_

The cheering started up again and the cadence ended abruptly. Gajeel gave her another pointed stare until he tore his eyes away to study his foe. The Editor gave the signal to commence.

Lucy's father smiled as he watched the two start circling around each other. "I always love to listen to the people sing that. It makes for a great introduction, to say the least."

Also smiling, Lucy glanced to Levy beside her. She bumped her elbow into Levy's arm, causing the young lady to stir. "Did you fall in love?" The blond asked jokingly.

Levy felt her cheeks tinge. "No… I-I…"

Lucy giggled. She knew the blue haired woman's concentration was glued to the man beneath the dark death hawk hair. Her attention turned back to the fight as Gajeel's opponent swung his gladius in an arc towards Gajeel's shoulder.

Easily throwing his own right gladius up to block the swing, the reigning champion used his left gladius to strike at the helmeted man's upper arm. The man raised his shield, letting the short blade glance off the hardened wood with a thunk.

No matter where Gajeel decided to swing, his rival blocked or parried. Neither one could slip past the other's defenses to draw first blood. They danced around the sand with calculated footwork, each placing their feet deliberately, planting to draw more energy to their already powerful attacks. Without warning, Gajeel dipped down and raised his right arm to deflect a downward strike aimed for his head, while whipping out with his left to make a connection to the man's bare leg. The blade sliced a shallow streak into the flesh.

The gladiator growled and raised the same leg in the air, using his knee to hit Gajeel in the face. The champion staggered backwards. His right leg stabilized him, but before he could parry a swing directed at his chest, the man before him shoved his shield into his side and forced him to the ground with a shout.

Gajeel's leg gave out and he fell straight onto his back. Sand flew up from around his fallen frame. Stunned, he left himself open to a balled fist. The round mass hit his cheek, the force causing his teeth to cut into the flesh inside his mouth. Blood droplets and sweat flew from his mouth at the quick motion. He let out a loud grunt.

From the balcony, Levy's hands rose to her mouth. Her eyes widened. "OH…!"

Blood coated his mouth, and Gajeel spit. He let go of his right gladius and knocked away a second attempt on his cheek. With his left, he carelessly whipped the blade towards the bent gladiator's neck. The hilt glanced off the top of the shield's metal crest, and instead of plunging into the man's flesh, the blade tinked off the helmet, and his fist clasped around the sword's hilt smacked into the man's protected head.

The slave aimed to kick Gajeel between his legs at his base, but the large man brought his foot up and kicked his planted leg out from under him. The gladiator fell to his arse. It gave Gajeel a moment to swiftly gather himself to rise to his feet and punch the seated man square in the jaw with his left hand. His sword was still firmly in his grasp, pointing down facing the opposite way. The metal hilt cut into the flesh of the cheekbone.

His combatant toppled to his left, away from Gajeel's powerful punch. But Gajeel allowed him a few moments to regain his balance. He took that time to stride over to his fallen blade and pick up the weapon. Twirling both gladius' in the air once, a smirk plastered itself over his face. The action of his lips uncovered his teeth.

The helmeted man lunged, attacking high in a showy fashion. The shield was raised to hide his neck and shoulders, and the gladius he wielded flashed across the space between them. Gajeel dodged it and counterattacked. Back and forth their weapons clashed loudly with metallic ringing for several minutes. Finally, the rival slipped up and miscalculated his move, creating a perfect opportunity.

Seeing the open pocket at the top of the man's striking arm, Gajeel guided his right gladius to it in a quick motion. He felt the sharp edge slide deep into the man's muscles settled over the clavicle. Instantly the man's arm faltered and he dropped his weapon. With a swift connection to the fighter's chin, Gajeel issued a massive uppercut.

The wounded gladiator's head snapped back and in a matter of seconds, he was flat on his back. He wasn't sure, but Gajeel thought he may have broken the jaw. Blood seeped from between the fallen's lips, but he didn't move his mouth.

Levy cringed and looked away, closing her eyes. She opened them, but with her head turned towards Lucy, she couldn't see the arena. Bringing her eyes back to the spectacle, Levy saw Gajeel take a short walk in a circle to catch his breath. The man on the sand made no attempt to rise, no effort to defend himself if the champion decided to end him.

Cries from the people in the seating above were a mix of death and mercy. As Gajeel walked, he gazed out towards them as if listening to their demands. His reddened eyes shifted to where the Dominus sat. He spat to the side, blood and spit and sweat flew to the sand beside the downed gladiator. Patiently, he waited for what his former master would want him to do.

Lucy's father watched him with pursed lips, the corners turned up slightly. It was a shame that Gajeel had earned his freedom. He had no right to tell the former slave what to do, no right to demand bloodshed as the standing man below was his own person. A smile cracked his face and he shook his head slightly. It was a difficult decision, one that Gajeel forced on him with his actions.

He held up one hand, his thumb sticking out. Turning his hand to the side, his thumb horizontal, he held it there as the crowd's cries continued in a roar. His answer was neither death or mercy. It was the champion's decision.

"What's that mean?" Levy asked Lucy as she eyed the girl's father. She glanced between the people and Gajeel below before bringing her eyes back to the Dominus.

"It's up to Gajeel to kill or not."

Levy sucked in a small intake of breath. Her eyes watched the man intently, hoping he knew what he was doing. Of course he did, but he was a free man. Whether he took the breath from the lesser gladiator or not, his decision would still be with him to his end. It would haunt him for life. Then the words to the song they had heard came to her mind.

 _"The black wing of death as their liege… Soldiers that lie at my feet… "_

Gajeel was used to killing. He had seen it for the better part of his life. She watched his stance, the way he stood at a distance from the struggling man on the ground. It reminded her of a soldier. His features were blank, save for a line for a mouth.

 _"I am standing in wake of the storm. I was raised by the wolf and the stallion."_

The breath caught in Levy's throat as Gajeel decidedly walked towards the man. He kicked the weapon from his loosened grip. Sand flew with the gladius and it landed some feet away. Gajeel laid the edges of his swords against the man's neck.

Levy brought her hands to her mouth. Everything in her surroundings faded away. The sounds and shouts grew distant. The only thing her eyes wanted to see were the two men. They shifted upwards, and she could see red eyes connecting with hers.

Removing the short swords from the man, Gajeel twirled them in the air twice in preparation for a double strike.

 _"This sword was battleborne."_

Swiftly raising his arms, Gajeel flipped the blades so he held the weapons backwards, the tips pointed towards the sand. Grunting, he plunged the tips down. The two gladius' sunk far into the sand on either side of the gladiator's head. He left them sticking up, then with a stare up towards the Dominus, he turned his back and walked away.

Relief flooded through Levy, allowing her to draw breath again. It had been the most intense fight she had ever seen. The Dominus nodded as he looked upon the twin swords and the helmeted head lying between them. He knew the man would choose the right course of action.

With the match now over, a female servant offered Levy and Lucy wine from the tray she carried. She lowered her head as the ladies accepted it. She turned to Dominus in offering. He plucked the glass from the tray with a quiet thank you.

The scantily clad servant bowed and left as silent as she entered with the beverages. Not long after she left, a tanned skinned man slipped in unnoticed through the opaque curtains at the entrance. He wore guard armor, and a standard issue gladius was sheathed at his belt. He silently stood behind the two already stationed guards.

"I think I like this champion." Levy chirped happily. She took a sip of the sweet wine and smiled. She caught Gajeel's stare and felt her face heat. The large, sweating gladiator held her eyes with his own even though she struggled to turn away, and the heat inside her made her cheeks redden. _I think I really like him._

"It was only a matter of time, my lovely. He is a right fine piece of manly arse." Lucy affirmed, and she giggled as she took a drink from her glass. The two young women laughed together and turned their attention back to the arena.

The reigning champion wiped the glistening sweat from his brow and bowed as was custom to the Dominus. The older man seated next to Lucy nodded, signalling that the gladiator was free to return to the barracks. The roar from the people erupted at the official victory.

Before Gajeel could turn to leave, he saw a glint of steel behind the House members. The third guard held the one standing behind the Dominus by the mouth and promptly slit his throat with the blade in his hand. Blood spurted in an arc from the fatal injury. Surprised, the remaining guard drew his weapon to engage the assassin.

The Dominus spun around in his chair to see his trusted guards had fallen, the blood still squirting in pulsing arcs as they fell to the floor of the viewing box. The young ladies immediately began to scream at the ghastly sight of blood and death, rising from their seats and huddling in the corner.

Gajeel sprinted for the fallen gladiator's belt, eyeing the unused dagger. He yanked it from its sheathed and drew back, steadying himself and his increased heart rate with a deep breath. The dagger flew from his fingers. He watched with wide eyes as the small weapon tumbled through the air up into the balcony.

It sliced through the skin of the assassin's outstretched arm, causing the man to drop it on reflex. Without waiting further, Gajeel sprinted for the balcony and jumped into the air. His large hands caught the railing, and he pulled himself up it.

The crowd's concern at the screams and now visible blood made some rush to leave. If there was more than one killer at large, there was no telling where they were, or how many, all stationed at different parts of the stadium. The remaining people were paralyzed as they watched the events play out.

Levy glanced from the killer, who now rushed at the Dominus with his blade directed at him, to Gajeel as he swung his body up over the wooden railing. The assassin was taken aback, switching his attention to the sudden gladiator's presence.

Dominus tossed Gajeel the sword he had drawn, knowing that the champion would deliver a maniacal attack far greater than he himself would be able to produce. The fighter caught it and advanced headlong into another physical altercation. Both men blocked the only entrance. Levy and Lucy looked on stunned.

The assassin knew his cover was blown, and out of a heated passion, began attacking Gajeel with sharp swipes at his unprotected torso. Easily evaded, Gajeel waited until the strikes left the idiot before him vulnerable. It gave Gajeel viable counter attacks, and his sword bit into the foe's undefended side.

He yanked hard and twisted as he pulled to inflict more damage. Crumpling to the ground, the assassin scowled, knowing his attempt on the House had miserably failed. This time, Gajeel did not hold back. He rammed the sword tip through the man's exposed throat near the trachea with a great shove.

The sound of the sword slicing flesh was loud. The hot blood sprayed out onto the floor, some squirting onto the greaves that encased Gajeel's lower legs. Gurgling replaced the intake of breath, and the man fell backwards.

Gajeel turned to the Dominus. The slave owner swallowed and nodded towards him, holding out his arm. The gladiator took it, clasping above his wrist with his own. It was a mutual respect.

Levy let out a deep gasp at the sight, her hands gripped together over her heaving chest. Lucy hid her face in Levy's blue hair. She cringed at the stench of death. The bluenette was very grateful of the man's service, though at the sight of the blood pooling in the box, she felt queasy. She laid a hand on the wooden railing beside her and looked away, unfocused.

"Are you alright?"

As she gasped for air, Levy shifted her gaze and saw the large man at her side. His deep baritone of his voice vibrated within her. He observed her with an intense interest, his red eyes roaming over her frame in search of any injuries. His eyes lingered on the trail of deep red blood across her lavender dress. The staining line ran from the folds near her legs, diagonal up her torso and onto the material at her chest.

"I-I'm alright…" She gasped. She looked at herself and saw the man's blood. Her legs buckled, and before she could register that her legs were working, she was scooped up by two arms as if she was as light as a feather.

She didn't resist, she could feel her consciousness begin to drift. She didn't know if it was the queasiness or if she was being carried at a swift clip, but the sensation of flying hit her. Her curled hair cushioned her head against the fighter's shoulder, and she felt the hands that held her tighten on her body. Gajeel gazed at her and said something. She opened her mouth to respond, but blackness took her.

When she finally came to, she immediately felt the soft sheets of a bed surrounding her. It took her a moment to get her bearings. Squinting at her body, she saw her bloodstained dress had been removed and a clean yellow one now replaced it. Her hand came to the deep neckline of the beautiful silk dress, which rested below the bottom curves of her breasts. It was one of her favorite ones, but how did she come to wear it now?

"Finally. I thought you were knocked out for good."

Again, the deep voice vibrated within her. She saw Gajeel sitting beside the bed. He was dressed very similarly to a roman soldier, except there was no armor. He smiled at her as she recognized him.

"What- How did I get here? W-who changed my dress?" Levy began timidly, her confusion slowly clearing up.

"You fainted, and I carried you back to the House. Several more assassins revealed themselves within the crowd, and Dominus ordered us to recede back to safety. Everyone is alright. Pride is wounded, but that is all."

"Assassins? But why? Are they gone?" Levy breathed and quickly sat up on the bed.

Gajeel placed one hand on the bed and the other on her stomach to keep her still. "Whoa, everything's as it should be. The assassins are dead, one is captured for interrogation. The Dominus and his daughter are in the other room. I wanted to be here when you woke."

Her hand touched the one that pressed to her stomach. A jolt within her caused her to look away from the handsome man. "Where's my other dress?"

The fighter chuckled and withdrew his hand. "Lucy forbade me to see you until she had fully attended to you first."

She nodded and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. The man she was sure she was attracted to was sitting with his legs on either side of hers, his hands on either side of her on the bed. He was a very tall, broad shouldered man. It was intimidating to have him stare her down. His eyes told her he was concerned about her health, and as well as at least somewhat interested.

"You have somewhere to go?" He asked with a little play in his voice. He never moved from his close proximity to her.

Levy looked him in the eyes. She refused to back away from his face, just mere inches from hers. "Yes. Let me up."

"No."

"Excuse me? I said let me up." Levy used the tone she rarely used, even with the servants.

"No." He said again. His lips formed a smirk.

She huffed but held his gaze. Who did he think he was? He had no right to tell her what to do, and what did he think he was doing, with his closeness? She fought against the flush she felt that threatened to creep into her cheeks.

"Tell me. What kind of a man stays to fight long after his freedom is awarded?" She inquired.

His eyes fluttered once, but they stayed trained on hers. He dropped his gaze to casually glance down at her lap, and then up to the exposed, silky skin between her breasts. He swallowed and looked into her eyes once again. "Many things."

"What things?" She crossed her arms beneath her chest, inadvertently making the exclusive parts of her even more appealing to Gajeel.

There was something he wasn't saying.

"Is it the Dominus? He's been very kind to you, and gave you your life again." She answered quietly for him.

He inched closer to her. "Yes, he did. But I don't fight for him. Not anymore."

"T-then I-I don't understand…" Levy expressed as her eyes briefly glanced at his lips. Her nervousness grew as he tilted his head.

"You."

"Me?" She began, the surprise was clear on her flawless face.

"Do you know how many times I've heard women say that they enjoy the tournaments? That they enjoy the killing?" He asked in a low voice. "You… You are the only one I have heard speak against it. It makes you even more intoxicatingly gorgeous than you are now, here, before me."

She could feel his breath on her face, he was that close to her. His eyes lowered from hers to look at her mouth and small nose, and then returned to their position across from her rich brown ones.

"I don't fight for the House."

"But, but you are already free."

His lips turned up at the corners. "Yes."

She sucked in a silent breath. She whispered, "Why stay?"

He answered in kind. "Because I fight for you now."

Gajeel's head quickly closed the few inches of air between them and pressed his mouth to hers. She closed her eyes against the onslaught. Her lips melted into his, and she let him have his way with her. His tongue ran across her top lip and she parted them to give him access.

His fingers touched her jaw. They slid to her neck, and he slipped his whole hand underneath her long tresses at the base of her neck. His pace started increasing when she released a sigh mixed moan. His other hand snaked its way along the smooth silk that encased her curvy body to the small of her back.

Levy left her hands in her lap, she couldn't do anything. Her mind was completely taken by the large man. She had no control of her movements. She entrusted her entire being to him, knowing he would give his all to protect her. To defend her. He had proved it just earlier.

As he kissed her, she felt the passion of what his love would look like if they continued down the road she hoped they were heading. Not at all wanting to, she abruptly broke off the kiss and took a breath. He had actually left her breathless.

His hands never moved from their positions, his eyes stared into hers.

"W-where exactly is this leading? This, this... connection between you and I?" Levy asked cautiously. She reached up to touch his black hair, running her fingers down the middle section of hair. She brought her fingers down from the top of his head to his jaw line.

"Wherever you want it to lead. I told you, I fight for you." He brought his lips to hers again in a brief kiss.

A small grin spread across her features. She leaned forwards and placed her mouth very softly against his, and then insisted quietly. "I don't want you to fight anymore."

He smiled. "Of course."

Letting his hands slid up her body as he stood up, Gajeel watched her. He knew she had full trust in him. Part of him thought she was crazy to have done that. If she knew what he had done while in the legions… no, right now she would be kept in the dark. Everyone was kept unaware of his past. He wanted it that way. There had been deserters in their ranks those years ago, and they had raged against the Roman legion. Those men swore to kill those who gave their service to Rome.

Gajeel had been a target. An officer in the fifth cohort, he had only survived the vicious attacks by a miracle. He was found half dead some days later by the Dominus' hired hands. Thankfully, he had had the foresight to strip off his identifying armor and insignias.

But with the day's events and the assassins, he knew he could no longer hide behind a slave's game. He had to rise and resume his true identity. And the woman beside him would help him do just that. She would help him, and he would love and protect her in return.


	4. Western Draw, Ace's High

**AN** : This is for Gajevy Week 2016. I have never written for this in the past, but if you've read my other works on here, then you kinda know my style. If you haven't, please check out my Gajevy fanfictions!

*I do not own any of the pictures.

*I do not own any of FairyTail - that's all Hiro Mashima.

* * *

 **AN** : To lemon or _not_ to  lemon. That is the question… Actually, that's not the question. The question is, are YOU able to handle what I'm about to give to you? Graphic depictions below - be advised.

 **Gajevy Week** #4 - Western Draw, Ace's High

A black horse was brought to a halt outside the only saloon in Sheridan, Wyoming. It was easily considered the largest town around for five miles, so busy was usually an understatement. People walked up and down the boardwalks from one storefront to another, for some it was a daily routine. Across from the double swinging doors of the saloon was the general store. It was a vast source of income for the growing town.

Dismounting from his seat, the black haired man secured his steed to one of the hitching rails and then made his way inside the establishment. The wind from outside picked up, and he brought gushes of dust in along with him. It swirled around near the dirty hardwood flooring before dissipating.

The barmaid glanced at the swinging doors as she returned behind the counter. The newcomer was one she'd never seen prior to today. Her eyes scanned his black duster and hat. He looked as though he was a bit confused. "You here for the game?" she asked.

He turned to her, flashing her a pair of intense red eyes. "This is the place it's held, ain't it?"

The barmaid nodded, noting the irritated tone as he spoke. It wasn't a rude sentence, she knew the man was just asking in his own way. Though still, he seemed a bit preoccupied. She decided to respond politely. "It's just through that archway. You'll need to sign in."

Gajeel nodded to her and proceeded to do as she had said. Once through the entryway into the other section, he saw the sign in sheet and scribbled his name onto one of the lines with the pencil. He straightened and took off his hat. Then he took a look around the room, inadvertently snorting when he saw his current competition.

In the corner by a window was a dark haired man, sitting back in the chair facing the back bar across the room. A glass of some drink was in his hand. He seemed confident, but with years of the game under his belt, Gajeel could see the dark haired man was just dabbling. If he was serious or not would be revealed when the it began. A pink haired pretty boy sat beside him. He was a fidgety and constantly flapped his jowls. Already Gajeel had a dislike for him.

Another few he couldn't yet read sat on the other side of the doorway. A blond haired kid sat by another younger looking man, who's black hair covered the side of his face. Another blond sat alone hunched over a drink at a small table, his face ducked down below his hat. His hard eyes and pursed lips gave away nothing except that he was doing the same thing Gajeel was in sizing up his competition.

This wasn't the first time Gajeel had enrolled himself into a high stakes poker tournament; he knew the drill.

"What'll ya have, sir?" The older man at the bar casually asked as Gajeel approached.

"Whiskey, tall," He set himself onto a bar stool. "I'm gonna be here for a while."

The bartender gave him a look as he poured the alcohol. "Sure are confident."

"Yea." He said simply, and thanked him for the drink. Normally he would have picked a seat with his back to the wall. He didn't want to have to endure the stares if he sat facing the others.

Within a quarter hour, the room had filled to the brim with men intent on entering the card game. All tables had been removed from the center save a large one. Small tables and chairs lined the room for the men waiting their turn for the game rounds. Since his name was on the list, Gajeel decided to finish his drink at the bar before joining them. He had a wad of cash in his duster pocket saved just for this occasion, and he'd be damned if anyone stole from him without his knowledge.

As he drained his glass, his ears picked up on a few hushed, but distinct voices through the din of people. One a definite female, the other an annoyed male.

"I don't want to hear it again. Keep your mouth shut 'til this is over."

A hurt female responded. "But these games last all day. It's just-"

"Dammit all! What did I just tell you!" Jet hissed, his hand slightly raised. He didn't lay his hand on her, though he had wanted to.

Gajeel turned around and found his open seat. Straight across from his chair he saw the female flinch at the male's reaction. He frowned. The fact that the pretty face beneath the blue curls winced when nothing happened was a tell. He knew the crowd was the only reason she hadn't been touched. His eyes shifted to the man with her. The smug expression returned to his face and he sat down in the space directly across from Gajeel.

"Alright gentlemen," the female bartender from the front room said cheerfully, glancing to the players around the large table. A tendril of her platinum hair escaped her single braided bun as she smiled and, "This game is a five card draw, ace's high. The winner and runner up of each round will go on to play a final round before the deciding last game. Anything of tangible valuable may be used for the pot. All victories are final. Have fun and play honorably! That means no cheating." She wagged her finger in the air.

Gajeel had heard the whole spiel before. While she spoke, he watched the smug bastard's pretty woman sit down in a chair, her self esteem and confidence obviously low to nonexistent. Her eyes never fluttered up to pay attention to the poker game, she kept them lowered with her hands on her dress covered lap. He wasn't aware that the round had started until there was a card in front of him.

Doing as each man did, he picked up the five cards presented to him. Not really the best of hands, a pair of tens. He held them close to keep stray eyes away and waited for the dealer, who motioned for the first bet. The players threw in their next bets and after the second betting round, one of them folded already. He shook his head and laid his cards face down on the table. Another man set his down as well.

Being the master bluffer that he was, Gajeel easily manipulated the lot of them, betting the right amount of cash to make them think his hand was good, or better than it actually was. Jet smirked and placed another dollar onto his two already thrown. One by one, the men seated on either side of Gajeel folded out until it was just three: himself, Jet, and an older looking man.

Another round of betting took place, and the older gentlemen laid his cards and shook his head. "I'm out."

Behind the smug man in front of Gajeel, the bluenette finally looked up. Her features lacked any emotion. She seemed alone even in an overly crowded room. As Jet finished his liquor, her eyes seemed to grow hard. It wasn't lost on Gajeel. From the slivers of information he gleaned from the situation, it was clear she disliked the man's drinking habit. His eyes briefly wandered to her left hand to check for a band, but the folds of her blue patterned dress covered it.

Gajeel turned to Jet. "What about you."

Jet laid his cards on the table face up. The only significant cards were two nines. His voice held a slight slur. "Two pair."

His cards weren't great either, though Gajeel laid his hand down confidently. He didn't have to say anything, as his higher pair plainly beat out Jet's. The man frowned at Gajeel as he sat there to watch the dealer gather the cash in a stack and hand it to the round's winner.

"Round two players take your seats, please." The dealer's voice rose above the murmurs in the room.

Ignoring the stares he received, Gajeel returned to his barstool and ordered another whiskey. He took a sip before turning to lean his back against the bar. Jet already had his face in close to the bluenette's in an intense whisper. She merely nodded, staring at the floor in front of her. Why would that pretty thing put up with the abuse? Unless she was married to him. Gajeel hoped not. She was too attractive for a man like that.

As Jet continued his no doubt harsh murmuring in her direction, her eyes glanced up and made innocent contact with Gajeel. He stared back, holding off taking a sip of his drink. She acted as though she was apologetic. Her face began to tinge red.

It was then that Jet stood up and strode to the bar. He ordered another alcoholic drink, taking the time to gulp part of it down there before heading back.

"I wish you wouldn't drink that stuff." Levy quietly commented as he sat down beside her. The smell of the alcohol wafted to her nose. She timidly shifted her eyes towards the mysterious, handsome man on the bar stool. He was casually sipping on his drink watching with interest how the second round was playing out.

"What's it to you what I drink? It makes me play better." Jet said, and then took a long drink. He turned his attention the the center game table.

"Too much makes you act like a fool." Levy tsked.

He gave her a glare. "I'm not an alcoholic."

"I never said you were."

"But you meant it."

She crossed her arms over her small chest. "I just mean I'm the one who has to get both of us home when you overindulge. And it will be dark when this is done."

"Tch. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Jet, please, you shouldn't drink at all." She began with a slight huff. She didn't want to fight with her older brother anymore. Not in public. It was embarrassing with how he treated her around others. She felt like a troublesome child.

Ever since their mother passed several years before, it had just been the two of them. Most single men who looked at her with interest would take one look at Jet and automatically assume he was her betrothed or her husband. It was frustrating. She wanted to get out from under her brother's shadow and live her own life. Maybe leave the town somehow and start a new life. She didn't know how to do that though. Part of her was scared to leave the only home she knew, but the other didn't want to deal with the verbal and physical abuse any longer.

He grabbed her wrist and squeezed, producing a tiny cringe on her features. "Don't tell me how to live my life, wench."

Gajeel had been watching from the corner of his eye. His ears had picked up some of the conversation as well. It seemed as though the woman was the one who tried to take care of everything. But she was getting nowhere fast. He noted the way the man grabbed at her. It was no way a woman should be treated. He set down his now empty glass with a clenched jaw.

"Another drink?" The bartender asked, raising the bottle up in question.

Gajeel declined with a shake of his head. "No, I think I'll keep my wits about me."

The afternoon quickly wore into the evening hours and the rounds soon sifted out most of the players. The pink haired boy was out as Gajeel had predicted, as well as the younger looking blond man. Many others lost the rounds and were forced to watch from the sidelines with drinks in their hands. The saloon's front room business of regular drinkers came back to observe the game, finding it a welcome distraction. The call girls too seemed to delight in the over abundance of intoxicated men. They moved about the establishment with a smooth grace in search of paying customers. Soon it was time for the deciding round.

The dealer called for the tournament players. Gajeel pulled his chair out and sat down quietly. Jet also returned to the table, stumbling as he approached the seat. The dealer shuffled the cards and then dispersed them at each man. The minimum bet allowed was raised to two dollars, quite a bit of money. Each man considered his hand, and exchanged certain ones for the cards off the deck.

Gajeel's eyes shifted from the five cards in his hand to the other four players. As he read the expressions of the men sitting around him, he altered his strategy. More bets were placed, and some began to fold under pressure. At the end of it, Gajeel had managed come up with a queen high flush. He glanced around as he held his cards. No one made a move to bet yet, so he added his money to try to coax the others into interacting.

The dark haired man named Grey squinted as he threw in another two dollars from his money purse, adding to the growing pile in the center. Laxus placed two dollars and a shiny ring into the pot. He casually glanced around the table, seeing what each had for cash. Rogue clenched his teeth behind his lips, a sign Gajeel saw clearly when he had watched his round. Jet squinted and tossed in three dollars. A gentle murmur rolled through the gathered audience. Behind him, Gajeel noticed Levy bring her hand to her forehead and close her eyes as she murmured to herself.

After a silent moment, Rogue sighed, placing his cards face down. He looked frustrated and regretful for wasting his money on a bad hand. "I'm folding."

Gajeel continued in his stoic expression, merely observing the others. Laxus smirked as Grey shoved a timepiece into the center. The bets were increasing in value. It wasn't called high stakes poker for nothing. Gajeel's mouth slid into a contented smile.

Grey suddenly folded, breaking under the pressure the others had expertly pressed into the round. Men around the room reacted with disappointed words. The pink haired kid gripped the dark haired man's shoulder and handed him a drink from the bar. The fold left three players at the table.

The three of them stared each other down, waiting to see who would bet next or fold, all while trying to read their poker faces. Gajeel's eyes finally saw Laxus sweeten the pot by pulling out his Colt pistol and setting it gently down by the cash.

The crowd's eyes widened and a growing murmur rippled over the bystanders. A man giving up his treasured weapon? He either had to be stupid with a weak hand or confident enough with a high card combination. Gajeel smirked and glanced at Laxus's protected cards before bringing his eyes up to his face. "You sure about that? Seems awfully stupid to me."

The blond narrowed his eyes, trying to determine just who questioned his thought processes. He had an idea, though if he was wrong, he risked insulting the man. "Watch your own cards, Redfox."

At the last name, Jet stuttered out in surprise, nearly flashing them his cards in the process "Wait, wait. Y-you're Redfox? T-the Redfox? You're Black Steel?!"

He promptly and intentionally pulled out his own Smith & Wesson Schofield from his jacket covered side and placed it in front of him on the wooden table, spinning it slowly with three fingers so the two men and dealer could see it right side. The black steel of its barrel -where Gajeel got his nickname- shown in the light, revealing the detailed design etched into the metal. A large 'R' was embedded into the black handle. Laxus smiled and put his fingers on his chin as he stared at it. Jet's widen eyes only served to show how drunk he was. His actions were choppy and he snapped his fingers.

"Well, shit." Laxus said simply. "The infamous outlaw."

A poker playing, well known gunslinger was sitting in silence across from him. Why he hadn't recognized him until he let himself be known was curious. It was rumored that a dark man called Black Steel helped local Star's catch several bank robbers and various cattle rustlers in the towns west of Sheridan. It was never stated if Gajeel Redfox was a hometown hero or a cooperating outlaw, and no one had wanted to find out firsthand.

Levy gazed intently at Gajeel as Laxus confirmed her earlier intuition. His appearance and quiet scrutiny of everyone led her to believe that he was on the darker side of the law. Maybe it was why she felt the mysteriousness uncertainty roll from him when she had met his gaze. He may have looked like an outlaw, but that didn't necessarily mean that he truly was.

Gajeel never opened his mouth, just sat there with a lopsided smirk and let the questions go unanswered. Laxus's bet was met and raised by his Smith & Wesson. If that didn't speak for the gunslinger, he didn't know what did.

Jet knew he didn't have a gun. He had a Winchester rifle at the homestead, but that didn't help him now. How the hell was he supposed match the raise? He looked at the cards in his one hand. They were good, though just how good, he wasn't sure. If the two others were betting their prized possessions, their hands must be high indeed.

In his greed, Jet cocked his head while taking a glance at the growing pot, complete with two well known pistols, one infamous. He abruptly scooted his chair back and reached behind him, roughly grabbing Levy unaware. She let out a cry as she was yanked from her seat. Her hair flew into her face and her big eyes shown with her sudden fear and confusion. Jet pulled her to his side and pushed her hand onto the table. "I see your bets. Here. Let's end this."

"What! Jet! Jet, you can't bet me!" Levy cried, fear escalating into hysteria. Her sweet voice was shaking and her eyes were quickly reddening with tears. "I'm not a piece of property that you can just give away like it's nothing! I'm your sister!"

"Shut up." He snapped.

"Whoa, man. Is this some form of a joke?" Laxus questioned, his eyes wide as he looked from Jet to his younger sister. Betting objects was one thing. Throwing someone on the chance of a good hand was entirely different. It was stupid. Unheard of.

"Hell no. C'mon, let's play."

The surprise was clear on Gajeel's face, his mouth twisting with his expression. He couldn't believe the drunkard was betting his family. That's a priceless gift, and he was throwing it away. The young woman was visibly shaking, her eyes glancing around the table, no doubt trying to figure out what just happened. Gajeel saw the lust plain on Laxus's face while he took in the new piece of the tournament pot and his mind working on how to win, going through all the different combinations that Jet could possibly have.

The gunslinger resolved to win it. If Laxus did, the poor girl would be subjected to him. He would have fairly won her, and would have every right to do with her as he wished. If Jet won, she'd go back to whatever home life she was already living in.

He studied his cards again. His highest was a queen of hearts. Next was a jack of spades. The rest were number cards, highest being an eight. There was a possibility that either one of the men could have a king or even an ace, which would be a game winning card. He had neither. Though there was also the chance that those valuable cards could still be in the deck. There was a low chance that the folded cards contained them.

Moving only his eyes, Gajeel met Levy's. Tears had fallen and she sniffled. Her brown irises silently pleaded with him before glancing at Laxus with terrified, wet eyes. She didn't expect to be a part of the game, and she certainly didn't want to be given to the blond man. But she didn't want to be given to Gajeel either. She didn't know which one would be the lesser of two evils, assuming Jet's hand was too weak to win.

Gajeel grunted and shifted in his seat, straightening from his slouch to lean on the table. He was all in now. "Alright, let's see 'em."

"You first." Jet said back.

"What did I just say, asshole." He growled and kept his eyes hard. He called the man's bluff.

Laxus turned to Jet, expecting him to show his hand fist. The drunkard dropped his cards, revealing his highest card as a jack of clubs, and a ten of diamonds. The idiot.

"You bet me with a jack!?" Levy cried through her tears, and she balled her fist and slammed it down on his shoulder. "You ass!"

Her brother scowled and brought his hand up to hit her. The bluenette saw it coming, shrinking back, her eyes clamping shut with the expecting blow to her face.

"Don't you touch her." Gajeel growled, staying still in his straightened posture. "She's not your sister anymore. She's not your damn property." He spat out the last word.

Jet shoved back from the table, knocking it and its contents with a jerk and stomped out of the room. Levy's hand came up to lightly cover her mouth. Her brother had lost. Now she belonged to one of the two others. A tear fell onto her cheek.

Laxus tore his lingering eyes from Levy to glare at Gajeel. "Redfox, you can't beat me."

"Depends on what ya got." He murmured and his eyebrow shot up.

"Drop 'em."

Gajeel obliged to the blond man's demand and lowered his cards. At the sight, a smile crossed Laxus face. He threw his cards down and in his hand, was an ace. No fucking way.

"Better luck next time, Black Steel." He stood up and snatched up his Colt revolver. Levy gasped, slightly flinching away from the winner as he neared her with a grin.

Gajeel had lost. He had lost at his favorite game. He sat there stunned, gazing hard at his opponent's winning cards. There was no way he could have drew an ace with no other high card. If that was the case, he would have asked for three new ones when the dealer had offered to better his hand, but he remembered Laxus had declined. At the very least, he should have asked for a re-deal on a dealer's error.

"Shoulda known you'd cheat." Gajeel spoke up. He crossed his arms over his chest.

Pulling his eyes away from his pretty prize, Laxus snorted. "Give it a rest. You lost. Take it like a man."

Gajeel slowly stood up, now confident that the blond had indeed cheated. He deliberately picked up his Smith & Wesson and cocked it at his side. The click was strangely loud. "You wanna confess now, or take it outside?"

The dealer picked up the undisturbed deck and quickly shuffled through it. Gajeel watched the winner frown nervously. It was obvious to Gajeel in that moment. He let his mouth turn into a sly grin. The girl's face contorted into further confusion and wiped her cheek with her fingers.

"It looks like we got a new winner." The dealer announced, holding up the same ace that was in Laxus's hand.

"You cheating son of a bitch."

"Cocksucker. How the hell did you figure that?" The tall blond grumbled. He swiftly pulled back the hammer with his thumb and pointed his Colt towards Gajeel, who raised his own towards the man.

He simply shrugged. "I call em how I see em."

The two stood facing each other with guns ready to fire. Neither testosterone filled man was going to back down unless one was shot or dead on the floor. Sensing the thick tension, Levy walked in between the two of them, in the line of sights. Gajeel immediately shifted his hold on the black pistol, clearing his throat as he pointed the gun towards the ceiling.

She watched him for a moment before turning to Laxus, who still had it pointing towards her, only his finger was outside the trigger guard. "Move."

"No." Levy replied. She wiped her eye with her finger. She didn't care if the man kept it pointed at her. She was dead already the moment Jet placed her hand on the table. The coward. "I'm not something to be shot and killed over. I'm a person."

As the fair winner, Gajeel carefully released the hammer with his thumb and holstered his gun. He placed a large hand on her upper arm, prompting her to move. She complied without protest, giving into her fate. He shielded her with an outstretched arm as he guided her behind him.

The dealer gathered the cash and other valuables, lastly collecting the gun from Laxus. As soon as it was placed in Gajeel's hand, the cheater turned to leave. The people still watching began to disperse, as the game was officially over. Conversations start up and a saloon employee seated himself at the piano in the corner and began to play a lively tune. The establishment resumed its normal, nightly routine.

Stuffing the cash in his money pouch, Gajeel motioned for Levy to follow him. She eyed him carefully. He led her through the crowd and out the front door. The night air had grown chilly and they could see their breath against the dark sky. He untied his black mount's reins and offered his hand towards Levy.

She tentatively took it, having no other choice. He had won her. Risking a glance into his red eyes, she didn't see what she thought she would. Lust wasn't present. He certainly gazed at her beauty, but it was an observation. Considerably taller and broad shouldered, he towered over her. It was if he was offering her protection.

He helped her into the western saddle, touching her legs and avoiding her plump bottom. Once she was secure, he swung up behind her. She could hear his soft grunts in her ear as he situated himself. A blush tinted her cheeks. As a virgin, all of the hormones he gave off confused her as it mixed with her own. Should she be frightened of the man who by all rights owned her? Or attracted? What did this man intend to do with her?

The young woman tensed as Gajeel wrapped his arms around her to grip the reins in the correct position over the saddle horn. He neck reined the beast, shifting the thick reins across one side of the horse's long neck to signal it to walk on. He felt it as well as heard the barely inaudible intake of breath through her lips when he inadvertently held her to him. With his head to the side and above hers, he spoke low. "I ain't out to hurt you."

She shivered at his words, and a gust of wind pushed her back into his chest. There was a warmth that touched her, that radiated from him. Her hair was unbound and it stung his face as it twirled around."I don't know that."

"You do now." He casually replied. He urged the black into a trot until they reached the last few buildings in town before pushing the gelding into a lope. They made their way north out of the town, passing swaying trees.

She couldn't believe what had happened. Today had given her entirely different expectations. It had ended with her essentially being sold off like property. The thought made her eyes well up again until all she could see was the road in a blurry vision. Now she was stuck with an outlaw. Her body began to shake from pent up emotion. She didn't fight the tears.

Gajeel felt her cry, her shoulders bumping into him with each shake. He lifted the reins and the gelding dropped to a trot before halting in obedience. The large man leaned to face her with a huff. "I told ya, I ain't gonna hurt you."

Her hand covered one of her eyes. "I k-know."

"Then why the hell are you crying?"

"Don't you know?" She said through her tears. "I'm now someone's property! I can't believe my brother did that."

He sat there in the saddle, right up behind her. His mind tried not to acknowledge the fact that his front was touching her soft backside. He held the reins in one hand and placed his other on his leg and nudged the horse forward into an easy walk. "It was a shitty thing for him to do."

He was met with sniffles and a quick nod.

"But you ain't my property."

She looked up, her eyes viewing the road before them. "Then, then what am I doing with you? Where are we going?"

Gajeel was quiet for a moment. If he was honest with himself, the thought of eventually making her his wife sounded pleasing. Who knew if it would work out that way or not. Stranger things have happened, and he saved her from the cheating bastard with ill intentions. Was hoping she developed feelings for him selfish? He didn't want to force her, but he didn't want to hold her against her will either.

He shrugged. "I'm going on home. If you want, I could drop you off here."

She looked around in the darkness with only the moonlight for light. She stuttered and gripped the saddle horn. "H-here?"

He smirked as she instinctively leaned back into him. "Why not? Not scared of the dark, are you?"

"No," she swallowed. "I'm concerned about Indians."

With a snort, he flicked the reins. "There's no Indians around here."

"How do you know that?" She snapped, mostly out of fear. He looked at the back of her head with a frown.

"Look. Do you want dropped off here or not?" He tried not to sound mean.

"No…" She hugged herself and shivered again as the wind bit at them. She was cold, he could see it. Leaving her out here was not his intention, but it would be better for her to think it was her idea to come with him.

"Ok then."

He wrapped both of his arms back around her to take a firm hold on the reins. He used his heels to press into the horse's side to urge it back into a lope. The wind was partially blocked by his arms, and she wasn't as cold as he had been. His breath in her ear made things happen inside her. Her breath sped up and her mind could only focus on the warmth of his on her neck.

In the quiet, the sound of hooves on the ground began to draw near, the noise akin to distant thunder. Alarm raced through him, and he pulled up on the reins, trying to hear from which direction it coming. The horse abruptly stopped, and Levy was pulled forward. His hand wrapped around her to keep her upright.

"What's that sound?" She asked innocently.

"Shhh." He strained his ears. He was a wanted man. There may not have been wanted posters of him hanging in towns around the area, but he knew he was. Helping the law catch criminals wasn't what he wanted to be doing with his life, but for a full pardon of his sins, Gajeel would do whatever the lawmen asked of him.

The distinct sound was now coming closer from his left. A voice rose above the din, and Gajeel sucked in a breath. "Shit!"

He jerked the reins to the right and kicked the black into a run. The horse spun into a gallop from a near standstill. The sudden action frightened Levy. She gripped one hand on the saddle horn before her and his arm very tightly with her other.

Leaning forward out of his seat, Gajeel pressed his front into her back. With them over the horse's withers, they gave it a little more balance as they sped through the trees. He knew it was extremely dangerous, and a blow to the head from a low hanging branch at this speed could spell death for either of them, but there was death behind them as well.

He saw the branch coming. Placing his hand over the back of her head, he pushed her down. Her face was low on the side of the horse's pumping neck, and she let out a squeal. His body covered her almost completely. He ducked under the tree branch, then turned to look behind him.

He couldn't be sure who the riders were, but two horses were after them.

They sped on over the grass, springing clear of the wooded area, the four beat gait of the gallop ringing in their ears. On open ground it was easier to fly. Gajeel had no idea where to go. They had almost made it to his home, but he wasn't going to let whoever it was follow him to a place where only he knew.

"Here, don't fuckin' drop them!" He said loudly above the thundering, shoving the reins into Levy's hands.

"What! What are you doing?!" She cried, not knowing what to do.

"Just take them, Shorty!" He snapped. Reaching for his Smith & Wesson, he cocked back the hammer and looked back over his shoulder. He revealed the gun and his arm locked at the elbow as he aimed behind him. The bullet fired from the barrel with a loud explosion.

Levy screamed and jumped, bumping Gajeel enough to mess up his second attempt at losing their tail. Her body disrupted his aim with the contact and his finger pulled the trigger instead of squeezing it. The round shot off towards the right.

"Dammit, woman!" He yelled with a growl. "Bullets ain't cheap!"

Her apology was lost in the wind, and she gripped the reins tighter. The folds of her dress flapped against his legs, the wind whipping through like a flag. Taking aim again, Gajeel fired the pistol. There was a ruffled sound. One of the riders fell off his horse.

"Steer to the left, up the hill!" He shouted to Levy.

She exaggerated the movement she had seen him do earlier and the horse instantly followed. She didn't know how, but Levy guided the horse up the hill.

Behind them, the remaining rider charged up the hill, slowly gaining ground. There was a loud gunshot, and a bullet whizzed past. Gajeel let out a breath. His Smith & Wesson fired and second later, the rider fell backwards off his mount.

"I got him." Gajeel grunted. He holstered his gun and took the reins from her shaking hands. She swallowed nervously in the dark as they made their way back towards his home.

"Who was that? What did they want?" She asked when her lungs complied with her efforts to breathe.

"Dunno." It was all he said. He used his right hand to hold the reins, and wrapped his left arm around her. Whether it was protectively or otherwise, Levy was unsure. But she didn't shrink out of his grasp. If anything, she got as close as she could to the man.

The road in silence. After a while, a small house could be seen against the trees. It was located away from any road, but up on a hill, she could see where the wheel ruts and hoof prints had made one into the grass and mud. Gajeel brought the horse up near the barn settled behind the simple wooden cabin.

He dismounted and helped her down. In the dark, he could see her apprehension. He looked to her, still holding the reins. "Go inside. I'll be there in a minute."

She nodded, hesitating for a moment as she watched him. She then turned, opening the door and disappearing inside. He grunted through his work, hurridly striped the horse of the equipment, then turned him loose into the small corral. He made sure the black had food and water before heading towards his home. A dim yellow light was seen from within through the window.

Once inside with his hat on the table, he noted that Levy had lit the candle by the small steel stove. Pulling the lock down over the door, Gajeel slowly walked to the dark hearth. The wind had picked up and a cold rain had started to pour from the clouds moving from the west. He bent down and fumbled with a match, but managed to light the kindle. Soon there would be a warm fire.

Levy stood in the corner watching him. Her hands had smoothed over her wild blue hair and were held nervously clamped together in front of her. She eyed him, noticing he was moving less fluidly than before as he striped from his duster to hand it on the door.

"What?" He asked when he saw her expression.

She spoke softly, quietly. "Are you alright?"

He ignored her, but began to unbutton his shirt. Blood soaked the top of his left shoulder, above his clavicle. He pulled it over his head and took a look at his gunshot wound.

Levy stiffened. She made her way over to him, grabbing the wash basin next to the hearth. "You were shot."

"You're very observant." He deadpanned.

"It's not bad is it?"

He picked up the washcloth the woman gave him dunked it into the water. "No. Just a flesh wound."

"Let me, please." Levy offered softly, feeling awkward when he winced in pain. The least she could do was help the man who save her. Sort of. She was grateful she wasn't with the blond man. Or with Jet, no matter how much she may have missed him.

She stood over his front, leaning to cleanse the bloody scrape. It wasn't as bad as she that initially thought. It was oddly a relief to her.

He groaned as she pressed her the cloth onto it to stop the bleeding. Her brown eyes flickered to his red ones. His brows were furrowed, but he said nothing as he stared back at her. It was several minutes before he spoke up in a gruff tone. He gazed at her with contented eyes. "Why's a pretty thing like you still single?"

The question took Levy a minute. It had certainly been unexpected. She shifted on her feet before answering. "My parents died when I was younger. Jet was the only family I've had for a while. Every available man was afraid to ask for my hand. I've been alone since."

He didn't move, just kept his eyes trained on her. He blinked once as she licked her bottom lip, wetting the dry and cracking skin. Her face lit up with orange and yellow light as the fire in the heart ignited further. They could feel the warmth rolling out from the orange and yellow flames. The sounds of the rain beat down onto the roof.

Levy finished wiping it and put a clean white cloth over the scrape. It adhered to his wet skin, and she pressed the sticky, white tape to it. As her body warmed, a shiver shook her.

Gajeel saw it and raised his hand, pressing it against her arm. He lowered her onto his leg, and she obeyed, sitting there perched. "I-I-" She began nervously, as if she expected him to want certain things.

"Shh. I ain't gonna do anything you don't want."

She stopped stuttering, her eyes flickering to the covered shoulder and bare torso. It wasn't that bad to look at. Her insides twisted. Why was she feeling these confusing feelings? The intense way he was gazing at her made her heart flutter and her breathing quicken. Should she even go down that path? She had never spent the night with a man. Of course she shouldn't.

He saw her anxiety, but also another emotion that she tried desperately to stamp down. He tilted his head as he recognized it. "Unless you do…" He said cautiously.

"I barely know you." She breathless replied, rising from his thigh. Her boots clicked on the wooden flooring. Could he feel what she did? Was that why he brought it up? What if she had let him take advantage of her, he was a large and tall man. He would indeed hurt her, in more ways than one.

"Alright, alright." Feisty. He grinned and lifted his hands in surrender.

"I'm tired. I shall want to sleep. Alone." Levy added, crossing her arms over her chest.

The man rose from the chair. "All I have is the one bed. With this shoulder, there's no way I'm sleeping on the ground. I'll be too stiff to do what needs to be done outside tomorrow."

"B-but-"

"If yer serious, I won't do anything. I'm not all bad, ya know." He frowned. Leaving the hearth blazing but blowing out the candle, he moved to his bed on the other side of the room. The heat from the fireplace reached even there. The one large room's temperature was rising very quickly.

Levy gulped and slowly followed Gajeel to the bed. He laid down with his trousers still on, signifying that he meant what he said. There were many blankets, all soft and warm when she down on the mattress. Her hand smoothed over a deer hide. Even sitting here uncovered, her shivered had stopped. She bit her lip and glanced at Gajeel.

He faced the wall on his right side, one blanket covering up to his abdomen. There was a problem though. Her dress was heavy, and the buttons were secured all the way from her lower back to her neck. She swallowed. The rising heat would surely kill her and not let her sleep if she didn't take it off.

"Um, G-Gajeel…"

"Hmm."

She closed her eyes before saying, "I need help."

He rolled over to see what she meant. She had moved her shoulder length hair to one side, showing him the buttons. "Just leave it on."

"I can't, I'm already starting to sweat. And these are heavy dresses."

Sighing, he shoved the blanket back and scooted to her. Starting from her neck, he started to unbutton her. Slowly her skin appeared from under the material. She wore a white shift beneath the overdress. Why women felt the need to layer puzzled him.

He forced himself to the task, but his eyes wandered further down her body past the last button. He brought his eyes up to her face, but oblivious to his stare, she began to slip the dress down her legs, still seated on the bed.

Her lips let out a sigh, and Gajeel felt something react to the sound. He returned to his side of the bed and faced the wall again, his mind busy recounting the tasks of the morning. The tasks turned to killing the men who were after him. He focused on that instead of the nearly naked, very attractive woman lying close by. Anything was better than thinking about her soft skin brushing up against his back.

"Keep to your side." He said flatly. His manhood throbbed. Damn, this was not a very good idea. She was a virgin, he'd end up ruining her if neither of them were careful. He swallowed as she touched his back with her own.

"I'm sorry, it's cold under here." Levy purred, her voice quivering from the cold blankets under the deer pelt.

He carefully turned over. She had the blanket pulled to her chin, obviously shivering. Her blue hair fell onto the pillow, making her look more beautiful than she already was. He could see part of her shoulder peek from under the same blanket he was under.

Seeing her made him also feel for her. She looked to be in her twenties, same as him, though she had been alone for most of her life. No wonder she was fearful and nervous. But she was also a little feisty. She had fight in her. That would save her from heartbreak. She was smart.

He inched towards her, intentionally pushing his chest into her.

"What are you doing?" She asked, eyeing his chest before bringing her eyes to his.

"Keeping you warm. It takes a minute for body heat to warm these." He indicated to the blankets. He turned her to face the fireplace and laid his arm over her.

Levy eyed his muscular arm as it touched just below her breasts. The physical touch and the heat made her feel warm, safe even. She relaxed into him. Her eyes closed and it seemed to Gajeel that she had fallen asleep. He took a deep breath, slowly letting it out through his nose. Finally, maybe he could get some sleep himself.

* * *

 **AN** : Below is the lemon portion of this story. If you do not want to read it, then this is where you will stop and move on to the next chapters.

* * *

Several minutes ticked by. He had barely drifted to sleep when he felt something move. Levy pressed into his chest, pushing her hips into his in a stretch. A small sigh slipped through her wet lips.

Gajeel's eyes shifted from her hips to the mounds on her chest, and ground his teeth. What was he thinking? He could keep her warm, but what else was going to happen? He was a fool to think nothing would.

His manhood reacted to her accidental, sensual action. He pressed himself to her, spooning her tightly. He lowered his head to hers and breathed in. Her scent was so much unlike a man, it was refreshing. Placing his lips to her cheekbone, he silently kissed her.

Her beautiful face turned to him, her eyes still closed. Was she really sleeping, or on the verge of it? She rolled to her back and tilted her head into his chest. She gave a small moan.

With how damn sexy she was -without even trying- he couldn't contain it any longer. He brought his lips to hers. Her eyes slowly opened and she stiffened. He pulled back, gently touching her cheek with his finger.

The look in his eyes. Levy had never seen it before. It was comfort. It was gentleness. The warmth of his breath on her face stilled her, and she stared at his lips as he neared her again with his finger still caressing her cheek.

"Gajeel-"

"Shh." He whispered and touched his lips to hers once again. She let him kiss her, and she closed her eyes with the softness of his touch. She parted her lips, and his tongue entered between them. She moaned, and his actions deepened.

His right hand brushed the side of her left breast, and without any protest from her, he took the mound into his hand. She let out a small sound, but relaxed under him as he squeezed her. His kisses moved at a slow pace from her mouth to her jaw, eliciting another sound from with her. Her hand slipped up his chest and around his neck.

His barely audible moan by her ear as he licked her awakened a primal urge within, and she opened her eyes, staring unfocused up onto the ceiling. The man's touch was like fire, his lips trailed down her neck, his wet tongue slipped along her skin. She found that she liked it. She wanted more of him.

Her eyes closed again as he slipped the straps of her shift from her shoulders and brought his mouth to breasts. A shiver tore through her as his tongue swirled over her pink nipples. A moan escaped her and she arched into him, her hands grabbing at his black hair.

Levy pulled her arms from the straps, and with her signal, Gajeel tugged the rest of the shift down her body to expose her flat stomach, down to her very curvy hips and thighs. She seemed to be from good stock, as her hips were wide, almost wider than her top. They were good for bearing children. What a waste, especially if she were to be single for the rest of her life. She wouldn't if he had anything to do about it. There was little hair down between her legs and as she shifted her legs apart, he saw her womanhood, where no other eyes have laid upon.

He drew his eyes away from her naked form and up to her eyes. They smoldered there, burning into him. His thick manhood throbbed and begged to be let loose. He saw her gaze at his chest move to the front of his trousers. He undid them and tugged them off until his bare legs were touching hers.

Her breathing increased when she saw his member. She knew how intercourse worked, having grew up on a cattle ranch. However she hadn't been with a man. And she hadn't expected Gajeel to be so… large.

Seeing her hesitation, he brought his mouth to hers. When he pulled away, he kept his mouth next to hers.

"Why'd you stop?" She asked, her breath all but gone with his kiss.

He roughly whispered. "We don't have to… I know you-"

She shut him up with another kiss, pulling him by the neck to her lips. He took that has her consent, and it took all he could to pull away from her again. "It's gonna hurt."

"Just do it." She whispered in a rush against his ear.

Her breathless whisper was enough for him. Having already been lying between her, he touched one of her thighs as she spread her legs wider around him, arching her core to give him better access to her untouched slit. Instead of bringing his lower self to it, he bent his head down to her.

His tongue licked up her slit, causing her to shake and moan in pleasure. Her clear juices seeped out and his tongue penetrated into her, licking up the slick liquid. Levy's eyes closed and her head turned onto the pillow, and she breathed in a ragged breath before the moan came out, deep and sensual.

Gajeel used his fingers to open her wider and stuck his tongue back inside. Her wetness was almost too much, and he sucked it up, covering her with lips. She bucked against him. His tongue licked up from within her to the bud of her clitoris. Her moans grew louder and she began to pant with her mouth wide. "Gajeel…" She breathed, a play in the inflection of her voice.

She shook and more of her fluids seeped from her. Her body gave her away and he knew she was on the verge of an orgasm. He raised up and planted a kiss on her stomach, inching his lower half to her prepared and slippery pussy lips. He guided the tip to slip into her.

A moan exited her open mouth. Not knowing if he should enter her slowly or quickly to get the initial shock out of the way, he opted for the latter. He shoved himself into her with a grunt. Her cry was loud, and she gripped him tightly. Her eyes shot open and he stilled within her.

His lips distracted her, caressing hers with care. He braced himself with one arm above her head and touched her face with his other hand. Once she was used to his large size, he began to pump himself into her, spreading her further each time he shoved himself deeper inside. The tightness around his aching dick gave him a strong elation, his body wanting nothing more than to ravage her.

But he was careful, knowing this was her first experience. He wanted her to enjoy it. Her wriggling made him move faster. Her moans turned to cries, and once she started to move her hips with his motion, he let himself go.

Over and over he hit her in the same spot, the tip smashing into her walls. His breathing intensified and he let out his own moan. It mixed with hers, and she opened her brown eyes to find him staring at her. She smiled, then with a quick thrust of his hips, her expression changed and her lips opened as her eyes tightly shut.

This woman beneath his naked body was extremely sexy. He watched as her breasts moved with his thrusting, the sounds she made caused his dick to react. As she bucked into him, he started moving even faster, harder than she expected. The increased force and repeated hits against her inner walls caused a tremor to rack through her.

She bucked hard against him and let out a sharp cry, the orgasm flooding her senses took over. Her breaths were shallow and he felt her tighten against his member. He hummed at the sensation. Before she was done, he began to thrust even harder into her. The sound of her wet lips against him slowly increased in frequency. With every grueling shove further into her, she cried out and he reveled.

He was nearing his end. He moaned into her ear, and without warning, he felt his seed start to shoot. With one last push as far as he could go, he emptied himself into her. He gave a weak push as his own liquid kept coming. She took it, arching into him and her mouth enveloped his.

As he came down from his high, he took a deep breath in between his shallow ones. Pulling out from her, he laid on top of her. Their sweaty bodies started to cool off, but the heat from the fire only warmed them further. They laid uncovered, skin pressed together, wet and slick from bodily fluids. Breaths slowly regulated, and they stared at each other.

"Are you ok?" He asked, still on top.

She nodded. "Yea. That was…"

"Some good sex." He finished for her, a smile spreading his face.

"Well, I wouldn't know."

"You do know. And you ain't gonna experience anyone else." He rolled off of her and slipped his arm under her head. She raised her eyes to meet his, her chin resting on his chest. She pressed her wet core to his leg.

"Oh, really." She raised an eyebrow.

"Yea. You're mine now. And I'm fairly sure I got you good."

Her eyes narrowed with a frown. "And what's that mean?"

He kissed her lips. "You're pregnant."

"What! You're lying!" She cried, but her lips twisted into a grin. "You can't tell that now, can you?"

He smiled. "Oh, yes I can. I've been the first between those slick lips of yours. You're pregnant."

"So what if I am?"

"I told you already." He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, sighing as she snuggled closer to him. "You're mine."


	5. Gunpowder And Lead

**AN** : This is for Gajevy Week 2016. I have never written for this in the past, but if you've read my other works on here, then you kinda know my style. If you haven't, please check out my Gajevy fanfictions!

*I do not own any of the pictures.

*I do not own any of FairyTail - that's all Hiro Mashima.

* * *

 **AN** : This is based in the 1940's, before/during WWII, on the Pacific side. The below is just a story, with language and some violence. I've had to work a lot this week, and I wrote most of this today after work and I'm tired. There is most likely a Lot of room to add and edit. There is absolutely no offense meant towards anyone whatsoever within.

 **Gajevy Week** #5 - Gunpowder And Lead

Natsu glanced around his work area, searching for the nut that belonged with the bolt in his hand. He dropped the wrench in his other, the tool clanking on the concrete. The sturdy B-17 bomber sat in the airplane hanger. The crew finished up their fine tuning of the large aircraft and put on their hearing protection as they backed away. Not finding the missing piece, Natsu cursed and rose from his crouch, hitting his head on the long wing extending out from the plane's body.

"What's takin' so long, Stupid?" Gajeel asked in his gruff and scratchy voice. He sat in the open cockpit, waiting for his comrade to tighten down the built in .50 caliber machine gun and get out of the way so he could test it.

"Hang on, I dropped the nut."

Gajeel leaned back in the cockpit seat with the thick glass top opened, rolled his eyes and pulled his sunglasses down from the top of his head onto his face. He shook his head. " _You_ are a nut."

"He's not the only one…" Grey mentioned. He stood on the wing before dropping to the ground. Standing beside him, Lily smirked as he took a drink of his glass bottled soda. All of the crew wore the same attire: a snug white t shirt, olive green flight trousers with black combat boots, and a set of dogtags hanging around their necks.

"Better watch that smart mouth of yours, Fullbuster. The latrines are in bad need of cleaning." Gajeel called out easily, a grin on his face.

"You can't order me to do shit, I'm the same rank as you." Grey commented.

"Found it!" Natsu shouted suddenly. He picked the nut up off the ground and the wrench to tighten the long bolt into the last hole, securing the gun mount in the process.

"About damn time." Gajeel growled. He pulled the headset over his ears and placed his hands on the dual joystick. His thumb hovered over the trigger, ready to engage the heavy weapon. Once Natsu was out of the way of the massive barrel, having joined the other two, he shouted, "Alright, firing One! Clear!"

He pressed the left trigger and an intense series of quick explosions filled the hangar. The gunfire echoed in the building as the long bullets appeared in the targets across the way. Flashes of light rapidly blinked from the black gunmetal projecting from the wing's greyish green frame.

When he stopped firing, Gajeel squinted to see where the bullets hit the heavy paper pinned to the sandbags. He made a sound with his mouth. "Ehh. I'm off the page on the left. Natsu, you idiot."

"The hell," the pink haired man frowned. "I didn't do anything."

"Of course you didn't. Tap in number one." Gajeel replied, pointing to the two gun barrels on the left wing.

"He forgot to do that in the first place." Lily said and finished off his soda. "Not much of a wing man if you ask me."

Gajeel laughed and stood up, raising his arms above his head in a stretch. He had been cramped in the small cockpit for a while waiting for the crew to work on the plane. As much as he loved to fly, he hated the small space he had to fit in. "That's why he's part of the crew and not up in the air."

Natsu grunted. "I can hear ya know."

"Did you hear him say the first round's on him tonight?" Grey spoke up louder than usual so all of them could hear. A hint of amusement was clear in his voice.

"I believe I did." Natsu's eyes brightened and he laughed. He tossed the wrench into the big toolbox and wiped his hands with a rag.

Hopping down from the wing, Gajeel pulled his sunglasses off and said sarcastically, "Sure. Just take my whole wallet while you're at it."

They cleaned up their work areas before heading out, closing the hanger for the night. The B-17 was one of many different aircrafts resting in Hangar Ten. Some were ten-crew bombers, and others were one manned fighter planes, all used for the United States Army Air Force.

The base was small, but it was settled within one of the United States Naval bases located in Hawaii. The pilots of the branches shared the same airspace and trained on the same aircraft. Crystal blue waters of the vast naval harbor housed several different kinds of naval ships, including large battleships, destroyers, cruisers, and submarines. Military personnel of soldiers, sailors, and marines were scattered all over the base for various responsibilities.

The four of them headed for their barracks, passing other hangers on the way. Flight crews worked on different aircrafts, repairing broken parts and inspecting weaponry and other aspects. Most enlisted men and women would be heading out for the Friday evening, though the unlucky few who drew the short straw would have to stay behind for night watch duties.

"You going to the Shack tonight?" Gajeel asked curiously as he turned to Lily, referring to the on-base bar that sat on the sandy beaches.

Lily nodded. "I planned on it. Didn't get to go out last week. Can't let you get into trouble on your own."

"Yea, you missed Shagotte. She was with Levy, and she told me to tell you hello."

"And you're just now telling me?" Lily spat. His eyes narrowed.

Gajeel replied with a shrug. "Sorry. I've been logging a lot of flight time. It slipped my mind."

"Seems like I'm gonna have to jog that foggy memory of yours." Lily chided, punching him in the arm, but then chuckled. "I bet Levy was glad to see you finally."

"She was." _So was I._

Gajeel hadn't seen his girl Levy in over two months, as the Army moved him to Hawaii. But she had surprised him one evening as he sat in the Shack with some buddies, showing up in the middle of his drinking time and expressing with much happiness that she was now stationed there at the harbor as well. Being a nurse with the Navy, her duties were to not only care for injured sailors, but for any Army or Marine personnel who were in need of medical attention. The fact that he could see her just about every day -as she was granted access to just about everywhere any enlisted personnel could go- was great news for him.

That night at the bar, Gajeel and Lily walked in, each with their girls on their arms. The black haired man helped Levy onto a tall barstool and ordered her a mild drink. She smoothed her black dress under her and tucked her blue strands behind one ear, smiling at him. He watched her red lips move as she spoke. "I heard one of the crews got grounded today. It wasn't yours, was it?"

"Tch. No, I'm not that brain dead." He slid Levy's drink to her and sipped at his. "It was Vastia's. The bastard flew his plane over the harbor and scared the shit outta some Navy officers for an official meeting on a battleship. Their covers flew of their heads into the rising tide."

Levy tried not to laugh, covering her glossed lips with her glass. "Oh, that's not good. I'm sure their CO's heard about it."

Gajeel grinned and took another sip. "Now they're all restricted to ground work, cleaning equipment, and doing inventory. Lyon is pissed that he's not in the air."

"Well, you better stay out of trouble, or you'll end up joining them. I don't know if I could replace your precious airplane though." Levy joked, leaning close to him and looking him in the eye.

"I won't. I may love my plane, but it doesn't love me in return like someone I know."

She blushed and smiled mischievously. "And who's that? Lily?"

Gajeel balked, his glass slipping from his lips as he looked wide eyed at her. "What? No-"

She laughed and touched his hand closest to hers as he stumbled over his words. "I know what you meant, baby."

He found himself chuckling with her, then leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Get any patients today?"

"A few. Nothing serious. A boxing match turned ugly, some minor stitches. For the most part, we just do paperwork." Levy shrugged. Her blue curls bounced on her shoulders with the motion.

"Well no wonder you're a spitfire when I see ya. You're all pent up from boredom. Ready for some excitement." Gajeel teased with feigned surprise, then a grin split his lips. He turned his head as the voices of Grey and Natsu entered the small establishment. Their boisterous calls to the bartenders received a welcome from the other pilots present.

He turned back to Levy and drained his glass. When he looked at her, he saw her earlier smile was now gone, replaced with a somber expression. Her eyes were downcast, shifting from the drink in her hands to his chest.

"What're you thinkin' about?" Gajeel asked curiously.

She waved her hand and brushed her curls behind her ear. "It's nothing."

"Levy." His red eyes considered her. She wasn't fooling him.

Sighing, she reached up to finger the small, metal tags loaded with his personal information dangling against his chest. She avoided looking into his eyes, knowing that her own may tear up. "I heard some of the other nurses talking about the war and what we would do if we were to enter it. Then I realized that you would most likely be deployed. And I won't be able to follow you."

Gajeel touched her cheek with his thumb, his curled fingers brushing her ear. "That it? I don't think you have anything to worry about. All the fighting is over in Europe. We're about as far away from it as we can be. I ain't going anywhere."

"But there's been reports of naval movement…" Levy said nervously.

"Who told you that?" He looked at her, bringing her head up.

She dropped her gaze from his. "No one, there's just been hearsay."

"Honey, those movements are most likely our own. There's a shipment of B-17s expected to arrive soon. You know not to believe everything you hear. If it's not from your commanding officer or the White House, it's not anything to fret over."

"What if we do enter the war, wha-"

He stopped her right there by bringing his finger to her lips. "We aren't though. As long as we aren't, I'm staying right here."

His words caused her lips to twitch upwards and her big brown eyes peered up at his. She seemed to cheer up and took a sip of her drink. The bartender took his empty glass for a refill, and Gajeel watched Levy as her mood lightened. What Gajeel told her was true, though he would never tell her that he and Lily have indeed heard word of ships of the aircraft carrier variety in the northern Pacific, heading south. It had felt like a punch in the gut; there were no American crafts that far north.

But Levy didn't need to know that.

"Hey, Hotshot! My drink isn't going to pay for itself!" Natsu shouted from across the bar. His cry made Gajeel turn his head and lean his arms on the bartop. It his first round at the bar, but it was clear that it wasn't Natsu's first drink that night.

"Is he already drunk? Has he been taking shots?" Levy asked, staring past Gajeel at the other man. She giggled as Natsu struggled to stay in his seat.

"My wallet ain't big enough for your drunk ass." Gajeel called back, but reached into his back pocket to pull out his billfold to fish out the money. He glanced over at Lily. He was sitting at a table facing his girl, but he had been listening to his friends with a smile as he brought the drink to his mouth.

The night wore on in a blur. Gajeel and Levy joined Lily and Shagotte at the table and had a few more drinks, all enjoying their free time together. The bar had a steady flow of customers even when it was very late. Soon Lily and Shagotte told them their goodbyes and they left the bar.

Levy lifted a finger towards the retreating Lily and asked, "Don't you have training in the morning too?"

"Yea."

She gave him a confused look, wondering why he wasn't turning in for the night. She didn't have to report to the hospital, but his flight training started at 8am. He needed the sleep if he was going to be in the air.

Gajeel leaned close to her. "I don't need the sleep, I've pulled all nighters and still able to train the next day. I want to be with you."

"You are with me." Levy smiled, moving closer to his side under his arm.

He nuzzled close to her ear, burying his face in her hair as he whispered. Levy quietly giggled and closed her eyes as he kissed her ear. She placed her hand on his chest, sighing. "Gajeel… we're still in public."

He sat up straight and placed the money for their drinks on the table before grabbing her hand. He smirked and winked. "Come on then."

* * *

The sun hadn't risen yet, leaving the predawn air crisp. Dew graced the grass, covering everything with a wet film. The small grey house on base housed Levy and three other nurses who worked with her every day, the living arrangements made by the Navy. The houses next door also housed other nurses and doctors. It was down the street from the main hospital and a few minutes away from the airfield.

Levy stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She found her head was resting on Gajeel's back, and the man was asleep on his stomach beside her. His arms were under his pillow and her leg was over his. Only the bedsheet covered them. He had left his tags on. They were draped over his back. Everything else was on the floor.

"Baby, what time is it?" Levy hummed, still half asleep. She moved her hand up from his lower back to his shoulder, pressing her bare body into his side.

"Mmm…" Gajeel breathed out a grunt and stirred. He raised his head to check his standard issue watch, squinting to read the time. "6:50."

"You need to get up."

She waited but when he didn't answer, she touched the hair above his neck. "Gajeel."

He woke again and groaned. "It's too early. Sleep."

"Does Lily know where you are?"

"Probably."

Levy kissed his shoulder and rubbed his arm with her fingers. The sheets rustled as she moved against him. Eventually, Gajeel rolled over with a groan. He wrapped an arm around her to pull her closer. She could hear his heartbeat as they laid silently together.

There was the sound of the distant hum of a plane, something that was very familiar to the both of them. Hearing planes overhead was normal. Almost a comfort. A few minutes later, there was a loud thundering. Seconds later, the sound of an explosion burst into the silence.

Gajeel bolted upright, sitting on the bed. "What the hell was that." Levy beside him heard it and listened with him, their breaths catching in their throats.

There was another deep rumble and then an explosion in the distance. The sound of planes flying low hummed overhead.

He harshly cursed as he flung the sheets back to grab his trousers. Levy gasped and rushed to find her clothing. As he slipped it on, he stared out the window, trying to see what was going on outside. Grabbing his shirt, he rushed to the door, ignoring the startled cries of the other women coming out of their rooms.

"Gajeel, wait!" Levy cried. She had pulled on her skirt and was buttoning up her blouse as she followed him onto the porch. He stood there with his t shirt still in his hands, looking up at the sky and into the distance. The other nurses gazed around, their fear rising.

"Enemy planes," Gajeel said. He swallowed as his eyes widened. He could see the harbor and the large destroyers sitting next to the beach. There was another explosion, the loudest so far as it was the closest to them. The massive ship before his eyes shuddered as a bomb fell onto it from the planes above, red, yellow, and black coming up from its deck in a tremendous cloud. "Holy shit, Levy- they just bombed the Carlton!"

Her hands flew to her mouth in a large gasp. The other nurses did the same with frightened expressions, and they all turned to go back inside the house. "We have to get to the hospital! Hurry, I can't believe this is happening!"

Gajeel turned as he shoved his shirt over his head and took Levy by the arm, bringing her with him into the house's front room. Sounds of explosions and planes filled his ears, but as he thought about what all he had to do, his mind went to Levy. "Go to the hospital. Do your job. There's gonna be a lot coming in."

Her eyes filled with unshed tears as she stared at him. "But what about you?" Her hands were shaking as she gripped him.

"I need to get into a plane." His voice was hard, but his eyes spoke different. There was a certain fear in them.

"Gajeel, this, this-" Levy let her tears fall as she struggled for her words.

He swallowed, knowing what she meant. It was a rude awakening. "I know. Levy, please be careful."

She knew her duty. She couldn't abandon it. Gajeel had his too, though he would be directly involved with the fighting as soon as he managed to find himself a viable plane. Once he was in the air, he'd have to rely on himself alone and whoever else was with him. The worry made her sick to her stomach. She nodded. "You be careful. I love you." She quickly said, tightening her grip on his arm.

He roughly brought his lips to hers, wrapping his hand around her head and then said, "I love you too. I'll be alright. Now go!"

With that, he rushed down the steps to his black Packard Twenty-One parked on the street. Not bothering to open the convertible's door, he jumped in and started it up. He didn't look back as he drove off, leaving Levy with her co workers.

"Please don't die." She whispered, watching him go.

Once arriving at the barracks, Gajeel left the car running and he entered the building. Base sirens were blaring in warning, the wail drowning out his own thoughts. Men were shouting and scrambling for cover from the .50 caliber bullets zipping into the building. Sounds of glass shattering and bullets hitting objects filled the room that he shared with his crew. "Lily! Grey! Dammit!"

The dark skinned man stood beside his bed shoving a clip into a rifle, a string of ammunition hung around his neck. He saw Gajeel and looked instantly relieved. "What the hell is going on out there!?"

"Whoever it is is sore at us. I watched them sink the Carlton." He replied breathlessly. His chest heaved from his running. He lounged for his bedside table to grab his rifle and ammo. Lily's expression at his words turned dark.

Grey ran to the door, passing Gajeel on his way. He grabbed his shoulder to pull him out into the hall with him. "Come on, we gotta get to the airfield! We gotta get in the air!"

With Gajeel and Lily close behind, Grey led them out to the yard at a crisp pace. Gajeel ran ahead towards his car, motioning to them. "This way!"

Along the way, Natsu joined them, having been throwing up from his late night escapades. He groaned as he fell into the black vehicle. "Why couldn't they have bombed us tomorrow…"

"You better sober up real quick. I think we've just joined the war!" Gajeel shouted and threw the car into gear. Natsu winced with the loud sounds all around, trying hard to ignore the pounding in his head.

They sped off in the direction of the airfield, where some of the airplane hangars were located. All around them explosion clouds of red and black lit up the sky, bullets flew and gunfire rang out. Men ran for cover, all holding weapons. No one really knew what to do. They stood no chance against the planes' .50 cals, while ships and submarines in the harbor were exploding with thunderous devastation.

Lily gazed out from the passenger seat at the erupting naval yard. Black smoke billowed from the raging fires and planes still releasing bombs onto his fellow men. A control tower was hit and tall structure began to topple. Men clambered away as it fell to the ground in a vast heap, smoke and water rising into the air. "All of those sailors… men's lives wasted…"

"Fucking makes me sick." Gajeel growled. "Grey, ya gotta get me into a plane."

"And me." Lily stated harshly. "I ain't leaving you alone up there."

He turned onto a side road that led to the hangars. Men were there already, bodies running for the untouched field in hopes of starting up the available aircrafts. Bounding from the car, the men shouted for others to follow. Lyon, Laxus, and Bickslow dashed towards them.

"You three, what's the low down on these planes?" Gajeel huffed quickly, pointing to the hangars as he ran.

Laxus veered off to run with him. "Those two are shit, broke down last night. That group of five just refueled, we were gonna use them for training today."

"They good on ammo?"

"Dunno. They're all gonna hafta be checked."

Without another word, they all sprinted for the fighter planes. The hangar's sliding doors were opened and immediately Grey and Natsu began moving the blocks at the planes' wheels while Laxus and Lyon headed to check each plane for ammo.

From under a B-17, Lyon turned and shouted as loudly as he could, "I need ammo in this bitch! Ammo, ladies, ammo!"

Bickslow grabbed a .50 cal ammo box at Lyon's shout, hurrying to carry the heavy box to him. Together they stocked the machine guns on the wings. When they were done, Lyon shouted again. "Alright, six good to go! Go get 'em boys!"

Grey heard it and pointed to the aircraft. "Why don't you take it?!"

"I'm grounded, remember?"

"Fuck that, get your ass in a damn plane!" Grey shouted with a smile. He put his headset on to talk to the pilots when they're in the air. "Gajeel, Lily, you good?"

Gajeel was already in the cockpit of a P-36 Mohawk, headset secure and propeller engaged. He shifted in his seat to find Lily in a P-40 Warhawk several yards to his right. He spoke into the headset, looking around for enemy fighters. "Yea, let's go before they come back around!"

Another P-40 entered onto the airstrip, growing louder as the engine revved. The man took off and the craft lifted into the air. The crew on the ground shouted, raising their rifles in the air as the first plane flew in American defense. A shower of bullets appeared then, streaming onto the concrete like miniature missiles. Some soldiers were shot down, falling to the ground, while others ducked for cover. The enemy planes roared past.

"Son of a bitch!" Gajeel yelled. He called into the headset. "Grey, I'm heading out."

"Right behind you." Lily said through the headset.

The P-36 rolled onto the airstrip, Gajeel closed the cockpit canopy and pushed the plane into max speed. Lily immediately followed, rumbling down the pavement close behind. The others were pressed by enemy fire, delaying their take off. The machine fire aimed for Gajeel and Lily's planes, but the speed carried them up and away into the air before any real damage could occur.

"In the air, follow my lead. Don't engage unless you've got a clear shot. We're gonna be all over the harbor, try not to hit our own on the ground." Gajeel stated, his mindset on the task at hand. It was going to be a rough ride. His plane neared the end of the runway.

"I got it, you're not the only experience pilot we have."

"Don't wait up, we're right behind you." Lyon's voice crackled over the headset. "Give 'em hell."

"Oh I plan on it." Gajeel growled. The P-36 rose into the smoke filled air as the engine roared, with Lily's P-40 on its tail. "Grey, let's focus guns on the tower, take care of them and head to the harbor."

"Roger that." Grey replied. He looked up as black enemy fighters flew past in the direction of Gajeel and Lily's airborne crafts. "You got company, 8o'clock, high side."

The P-36 dodged gunfire from above and swung around to the left, banking in the air as it came around. Gajeel glanced behind his shoulder. "I got two on me."

He led the two planes around the field. Lily flew past on his right, the hum vibrating in his chest. Maneuvering the slim vessel, Gajeel saw the tail of his first target in his crosshairs. His thumbs pressed onto the firing trigger. The mounted .50 cal gun on the wings exploded into action, bursts of fire shooting at the black plane.

A flash on the tail soon released a trail of smoke and the craft began to sink from its current altitude. "One down. Lily, how you doin'?"

Lily shot down a plane, but cursed as he took on gunfire. The bullets tinked off the metal body. "About as well as could be expected. Two down, now taking fire."

Gajeel guided his Hawk over and targeted the black craft firing at his wingman. He lined up the crosshairs and hammered down. His bullets tinked off the body, but he tried again and they pierced into the back of the plane. It began to nose dive and within seconds, it crashed into a building. Immediately it erupted in a cloud of red and black, with bits of debris flying in all directions.

"Nice shooting, Redfox. They've fled towards the naval yard." Lyon said, and Gajeel saw the soldier's B-17 zip past. The eagle painted on its body was distinct.

"How bout you take that eagle over battleship row? I've got a few Army stars I know they'll be happy to see." Gajeel suggested with a smirk. The underside of his plane had the Army stars painted on, so whenever the plane flew low, people down below would recognize the craft. He added to Grey, "Meet us at the harbor. We got some work to do."

"Driving there as we speak. We'll be there."

* * *

Levy dashed across the room, opening the medicine cabinet to retrieve vials of clear liquid. Eruptions outside shook the building. The glass bottles clanked together and various items fell from the shelves. The other nurses frantically ushered in more injured men and women who had been caught in the crossfires of machine gun fire or were unfortunately within range of the bombs. Countless men stumbled in with the help of others, some were carried, other's unconscious. It was too many.

Shouts and cries from both victims and personnel were a constant, pained yells and moans filled the air. Levy's senses were so frayed, she openly cried as she worked. Her thoughts went back and forth to and from Gajeel, but she didn't have time to worry about her boyfriend. With the bottles in her shaking hands, she ran back to the doctor who had requested the items. He grabbed one from her pile and stuck a needle into it, drawing out the liquid in a sharp motion.

Without looking at her, he spoke and injected a man with a gunshot wound to the neck. "There's way too many in here. We just can't save them all."

"What? What do you mean?" She asked quickly before glancing towards the open double doorway, a group of badly burned men who had been caught in an explosion. They wailed in pain and a nurse rushed over to them. The ward was already over maximum capacity, literally overflowing the building.

"That's what I mean. We're going to have to choose which ones we take. The ones that can survive the shock and their injuries."

"H-how?!" She cried. She helped a victim onto the ground -having nowhere else to put him- and wiped away the blood that smeared on the skin of her arms, only to smear it further.

"I don't know. I don't care. We're overloaded." The doctor quickly moved on to another man with a head laceration. "With those ships sinking out there and the burn victims, we've got to sort them out."

Levy looked around, not knowing what to do. Tears streamed down her face. She had to focus. The walls rattled again as a bomb detonated outside. A deep rumble vibrated her insides and planes could be heard outside. Gunfire blasted and cries were heard.

She bolted for the building's entrance, taking two nurses with her. They pushed their way through a sea of people in need of medical attention. Once outside, she shielded her eyes with her hand. The yard was full, with both the living and the dead. A black plane flew past and rounds of bullets showered down over the hospital grounds.

Ducking down, Levy saw another plane follow it. A grey plane in similar body structure whipped around, engaging the black vessel with its guns, having no choice. The bullets were carefully fired, only a few rounds as to try to miss the people below. As the black craft inverted through the air above the yard, the grey craft did as well as it fired. A number of soldiers threw up their hands and gave excited cries as they saw the Army insignias on the wings.

The nurses began to sort out the injured, from the minor to the fatal. As soon as they covered a small section, another wave replaced the gaps their sorting had left. It seemed as though their efforts were in vain. Levy let out a breath. She was covered in blood and grime. Sweat poured from her, soaking her clothing. The sun was rising over the harbor and the air was growing warmer. Fires burned and streams of oil from destroyed ships were ablaze. The hum of plane grew louder, and it was hard to tell which vessels were friendly or not from the distance.

She knew Gajeel was one of them. He had to be.

* * *

Smoke rose into the sky and the planes cut into it. Flashes of light could be seen from the wings. Gajeel and Lily met up with Lyon and Laxus as they appeared through the smoke. "Oh my God," Gajeel breathed. "The ships. The Arizona is completely sunk!"

"Damn…" Lily commented as he gazed over the destruction.

"The Oklahoma too. Most of the destroyers are gone, and there's no cruisers left."

"Man, this is bullshit!" Lyon shouted, and a growl escaped his mouth.

The waters were blackened from the carnage, fires raged, and military personnel littered the water. Ships were still sinking. There were workers trying to free trapped sailors still inside the destroyed battleships. The whole harbor and bases stank of death. Countless lives all wasted. It could have been Lily or Laxus waking up on one of those ships, only to drown or die of gunshot wounds. It could have been Gajeel. It even could have been Levy.

That made his blood boil. He ground his teeth, clenching his teeth. He spotted a black craft head towards the hospital and flew after it. As it fired upon the people below, Gajeel scowled and cursed. "Not today, asshole."

His thumb pressed the joystick triggers and his weapons targeted the enemy. The two planes flew low to the ground, mere yards from the tops of the buildings. Injured military men and women swarmed the hospital entrance. He inverted the craft just like the plane before him to miss the tree across from the large infirmary. The cockpit canopy faced the entrance where all of them pushed to enter for safety. He thought he saw a flash of blue as he zoomed past.

Lily came over after, taking down the craft that Gajeel had in his sights. Across the harbor, Lyon and Laxus engaged and shot down another few. They searched for more enemy vessels, careful to keep each other in view as to not mistaken their identities.

"I don't see any more fighters." Lily said. He found the P-36 that Gajeel manned.

"They probably tucked tail and ran." Gajeel replied. He glanced around. "What do you think, Grey?"

There was no answer. Gajeel's stomach dropped. "Grey. Answer me, dammit."

"Sorry, I got roped into helping rescue the men still aboard the Oklahoma. Man, you gotta get down here. They're all in bad need of able bodied men. They can't break through."

Laxus' voice was heard over the headset. "What else can we do?"

Grey answered a moment after. "The doctors just called for blood. If you wanna help, you can go there too."

"Copy that." Gajeel stated. He knew where he was going. "Lily."

"I hear ya. I'll follow." The dark skinned man confirmed, following Gajeel's P-36 down onto a flat section of clear road. The fighters the men flew all started to land wherever they could manage safely. From his landing spot, Gajeel could see the infirmary. Without waiting for Lily, he sprinted towards it.

The crowd gave him resistance, but he pushed through. Over the tops of the heads, he saw a flash of blue. Eventually, he waded through and saw Levy standing on the steps. She looked uttered exhausted, bloodied and sweaty. It looked like she'd been through a war of her own. Aside from his split lip and bloody nose from knocking around in the cockpit without a seatbelt, he knew he looked worse than he really was.

"Levy!" He shouted as he neared.

She turned, her eyes hooded. When she saw him, her eyes opened further and she physically looked a little better. Her lungs seemed to open and her chest heaved. Her hand reached out to him, which he swiftly took before enveloping her into a hug. "Gajeel," she sighed and fell into him.

He was dirty and oil stained his white t shirt. Blood dripped from his nose onto her hair. She didn't seem to notice. Her eyes took in his face with mild concern. He was alive, and that's all the mattered. "You're alright."

He smirked. "I said I would be."

Her lips smiled for the first time since waking up next to the man. She touched his cheek. "Come on, help me get this group inside and then I'll clean you up."

A few hours later, him and Lily had helped the medical personnel sort out patients and assist where they could without needing a vast knowledge of medical training. They gave blood in effort to indirectly save lives, and after protests from Levy, Gajeel went out to the harbor with Lily to join the others in the aid attempts of rescuing trapped sailors. He had to assure his bluenette girlfriend that the fighting had stopped and that he would safe.

Grey found all of his pilots and together they set to work on the capsized ships. Some were so completely destroyed that there was nothing left but small pieces. Everyone they came across told them to try to stay out of the once clear, blue water, as there was so much blood, oil, gasoline, and other kinds of debris that even the marine life was suffering and dying.

They managed to find parts of the battleships that were broken away and worked on that, freeing innumerable amounts of men from the potential watery tombs. Every time they pulled a person from the wreckage, the spirits of everyone involved lifted somewhat. And in the carnage were also the remains of enemy planes the surviving naval vessels and pilots shot down. Most of them were just bits and pieces, the hollow plane parts no doubt having already sunk to the harbor's sandy floor.

By the end of the day, thousands of people had fallen. Gajeel and the others returned to the hospital soiled and spent. Lily met up with Shagotte, who was as glad as Levy was to find Lily was alright. Gajeel held Levy that night, after the chaos had been organized. She and the other nurses were allowed to leave to get much needed sleep, as they would be needed again the next day. She cleaned up and had joined her boyfriend on her bed.

Levy's face buried itself into Gajeel's chest as he laid with her. "Today was awful."

"Isn't that the understatement of the year." He murmured. He stroked her hair and kissed her, so happy and relaxed to feel her in his arms.

"I was so worried about you. I was afraid you'd be shot down." Her voice grew thick and a tear slid down her nose.

He wiped it away. "Well I wasn't. Everything's ok now."

"We'll be thrown into the war, without a doubt." Levy said after a moment. She hugged Gajeel tighter. "I don't even want to think about that right now."

Gajeel kissed her head this time and rested his cheek on her hair, closing his eyes. "Then don't. Just be here with me. I ain't leaving you."

She smiled and sighed, tightening her arm around him. "Good."

* * *

 **AN** : I wanted to get this out tonight. I'm so tired, I worked all day today and I work tomorrow morning. I slaved away for you guys on this, writing most of it today after work. You're welcome. I can't forget tp give credit where credit is due: JadeOccelot helped me with some lines when I was stuck. Been a huge help. Thanks for that! Check out their Gajevy Week one shots - you won't be disappointed. I still feel like I am with this, so I'll edit and add more to this when I get the chance.


	6. All These Questions

**AN** : This is for Gajevy Week 2016. I have never written for this in the past, but if you've read my other works on here, then you kinda know my style. If you haven't, please check out my Gajevy fanfictions!

*I do not own any of the pictures.

*I do not own any of Fairy Tail - that's all Hiro Mashima.

* * *

 **AN** : I know, I haven't forgotten. This is way overdue. I apologize. Work has taken over and with that schedule, I had to take a small break from writing. I'm also going to try to get the next chapter of Fighting Redfox out this week.

 **Gajevy Week** #6 - All These Questions

The black controller vibrated violently in Gajeel's hands. He spat into the wireless headset as his eyes dashed across the television screen. "There's a camper on the left, he's a sneaky bastard. Probably some kid."

He controlled the first person shooter game with extreme ease, having been playing the types of games for a long time. He pressed a few buttons. His thumbs worked simultaneously. The weapons changed on screen and the player character dashed across the open area for cover. Red tinged the sides of the screen, indicating that his player was taking fire. Lining the scope with an opposing player's avatar, he pressed the trigger on front of the controller and points appeared with another confirmed kill.

He growled victoriously. "Finally, you little sack of shit."

"Baby..." There was a voice behind him. Levy came into the living room holding a laundry basket, grabbing his discarded t shirt and throwing it into the basket. Her tone was of mild warning as she stared at the war scene on the television.

"Sorry."

"Are you almost done?" she asked, setting the bottom of the laundry basket on the back of the couch.

He killed another two avatars and his score increased. "Yea, why?"

"I'm watching the kids today. She doesn't want them playing those games."

Gajeel quickly glanced at her with a blank look. "Wait, what? Who's kids?"

Levy huffed and walked off for the laundry room, calling out as she left. "Lucy's kids. I'm watching them today. I've already told you this."

He could hear her load the washer and the dial turn when she started it. "When?"

"TODAY." She appeared from the laundry room to incredulously stare at him.

The screen went red and his avatar was killed while he gazed at her, amending his question. "What time today."

She checked her phone, pulling it out of the back pocket of her shorts. "Any minute. Please turn that off."

He touched the console with a bare foot to shut it off and set his headset on the couch. "All three of them?"

"Yes, honey. All three. Natsu is taking Lucy on a night out. She hasn't had a break for a long time." She said and walked over to the air conditioning unit in one of the living room windows to turn it on. It kicked on and began to blow cool air into the room.

Gajeel eyed her with interest. He stood up and made his way over to her, grabbing her wide hips and pulled her to his own. He leaned over her bent frame, planting his lips onto her ear. "You sure you can handle three kids on your own?"

Levy sighed and pulled his arm around her stomach. She looked out the window, checking to see if Lucy had arrived. "Yes, I'm not alone. You're not getting out of helping me."

"I was afraid of that." He sighed and straightened, leaving his hands on her. As he did, a small red Explorer slowed down on the road and pulled into the long drive. Lucy's blond hair was brushed into a ponytail that curled down her shoulder.

"Just think of it as practice for when we have children." Levy's voice was excited.

He grimaced when he saw Levy's beaming smile. "You mean 'if'."

"No, I meant when. Put a shirt on, please." Levy said and kissed his cheek. She watched him tug a clean grey t shirt over his shoulders before opening the front door. Lucy had one of the passenger door's open, and two small children jumped out. Each had a full backpack strapped on their shoulders.

As the children headed towards the front door, Levy's smile widened and she opened the door further. "Hello there!"

"Levy!" The little boy with blond hair cried. He abruptly halted from his sprint and grabbed Levy around a leg in a hug. She patted his head and he dashed off into the house. She heard Gajeel greet him, then turned to the little girl. Her strawberry blond hair was in a braid and she gripped a stuffed animal to her chest. She looked like she was about to cry.

"What's wrong, Macy?" Levy asked, kneeling down and noticing the girl's expression.

"She doesn't want me to leave. I told her it's only for a night, but she's a mama's girl." Lucy offered as she walked up the steps to the open door. She toted a baby carrier in one hand, a loaded diaper bag strap hanging from her other shoulder. "Tell Talon he's going to see his aunt Levy, and he's all there. Forget about his mother who gave birth to him."

Levy giggled and stood up, holding the little four year old girl in her arms. "When do you leave for your little rendezvous?" She asked as she backed into the house to let Lucy through.

Her blond friend carefully set the baby carrier on the floor by the wall. A sleeping infant was snuggly secure inside. "He's off work at 6, then we're going to the city. There's a nice hotel he wants to go to, and a dinner show. I don't care what we do, as long as I get to drink."

"I bet that be very nice." Levy replied. They both looked towards the living room furniture. Talon sat on the couch next to Gajeel, who had turned the tv onto a cartoon channel for him. The six year old's eyes were glued to it. Levy turned her head back to Lucy and nodded to the bag at her side. "So everything Avery will need is in there?"

"Should be. There's extra outfits in case he spits up, extra diapers, wipes, even extra bottles. I pumped enough for a baby elephant…" She said and rubbed the side of her breast underneath her red tank top.

"Ehg! I don't want to hear that…" Gajeel complained, his eyes squinting as he turned to face them.

The two women ignore his male outburst. "If you need anything, you've got a key to the house. If there's anything else, you can call." Lucy continued, glancing down at her sleeping baby. "I really don't want to leave him…"

"Oh they'll be fine. I've babysat them for you before. You have nothing to worry about." Levy tried to comfort her friend. The married couple hadn't been out since Avery was born almost four months ago. It was a long time without a break from two other children as well.

Lucy sighed. "I know. It's just hard to be away from them." She palmed her car keys and leaned in to kiss Macy's face.

"Macy, Talon, I told both of you that you're spending the night with Aunt Levy and Uncle Gajeel, remember? Listen to them and obey. Your daddy and I will be back tomorrow afternoon."

Talon waved to her and his gaze returned to the tv. Macy, on the other hand, began to tear up and her lip quivered. "Don't go."

Levy hugged her tighter, placing her cheek on the little girl's hair. "It'll be alright, Macy. We'll have so much fun here. I promise."

She looked between the two women, sniffling. "Can we play dress up?"

Levy's smile grew wider. "You bet," she dropped her voice to a whisper. "And we'll hold Uncle Gajeel down and you can do his hair."

Macy giggled, a large smile spreading onto her face. Lucy's heart warmed as she gaze on her daughter. "Thank you, Levy, for doing this."

"It's no problem. Now go and get ready for your big date. We'll be fine."

Lucy left with a goodbye. Her children would be safe with her best friend. Levy closed the door and turned to Macy. "Do you want to watch tv with Talon?"

The girl nodded. She set her down and took her backpack, seeing that clothes and other essential items were tucked away inside. Talon's was on the floor by the couch. With the older children occupied for the moment, the bluenette turned to Avery with a small grin. The infant was squirming, little arms and legs jerking.

"Oh, Avery, you are too cute."

She knelt down and carefully picked up the baby to cradle him in her arms. The swell in her chest nearly consumed her with the motherly instinct she knew she had. It would only get stronger once she had a child of her own. She slowly walked towards Gajeel's recliner, immersed in the baby's presence. Large eyes looked alertly up at her.

Gajeel made sure the older two were sitting comfortably and content, then came to stand behind Levy's chair. He gazed down at the infant. "He's got some big peepers."

"They're so gorgeous…" Levy cooed, and touched Avery's cheek with her finger. He smiled and kicked his feet. A soft noise came from his mouth and he jerked his arm up.

She looked up at Gajeel. There was a look he had seen before, one of desire and extreme want. One glance at her and he pursed his lips. "No."

"But I didn't say anything."

"Ya didn't have to. I know those looks."

Levy pouted. "What look?"

He imitated her expression. "The 'I want a baby' look that you've given me every day since before we tied the knot. I'm not stupid Levy."

She gave him a glare. Her face turned back to Avery, her words directed for her husband. "Well I do want one. We're almost a year into our marriage."

"So?" He replied. He sat down on the couch in between Talon and Macy, throwing his arms up on the back of it.

"So I want to have a baby now." Levy said firmly.

He looked around the room at the tiny humans. The children were enthralled with the television show, oblivious to the adult conversation. Raising his hand palm up, Gajeel offered, "Ya got three right here."

"You know what I mean." Levy huffed and looked down at the baby against her chest.

Gajeel glanced at the kids before looking back at her. "And you sure you want a kid right now? I mean, you know how they're made and these guys are right here. You really want to them watch?"

"Gajeel!" Her face reddened. The nerve he had to bring up that sensitive subject around little ears. "Of course not!"

He sat smugly at her reaction, then watched the tv show alongside the children while his wife bottlefed Avery. After the second show, Talon turned to Gajeel with blue his eyes. "I'm hungry."

"Me too." Macy said quietly.

Gajeel glanced around for a clock. It was still mid afternoon. "How about a snack? Dinner's not for a few hours."

The two children rushed up from the couch, both running for the kitchen. Gajeel gave Levy an annoyed look, then rose up to follow the racing kids. "No need to run, the food ain't going anywhere! Fatties…" He added with a murmur.

"Gajeel…" Levy hissed as she turned from the baby.

He waved a hand. "I was only joking. Calm down."

With Talon and Macy waiting for him, he walked into the kitchen to see Talon flick his younger sibling in the forehead with his finger. Her eyes teared as her hand flew up to her face.

"Hey. What's going on here?" Gajeel asked sternly. He placed his hands on his hips, looking back and forth between them.

"He flicked me." Macy pouted. Gajeel looked between them.

"I saw. Talon, why'd you do that?"

Talon put his arm up towards her. "She said I was slow."

Shaking his head, Gajeel opened the cabinet's door above the counter. "You can't do that to your sister. Don't do it again."

The boy stared up at Gajeel. "She's not going to get in trouble?"

"What do you want for a snack?" Gajeel grumbled, choosing to ignore the child's outburst.

Seeing the boxes inside the cabinet, Macy's eyes brightened when she saw a yellow box. "I want cookies."

Gajeel promptly grabbed the box and shook it out in the girl's hands. She thanked him and walked away towards the couch, nibbling on one of the cookies. Talon watched her go. "I want cookies too."

The man dumped some into Talon's hands. He expected him to leave as Macy had, but he didn't. Gajeel eyed him. "What? You're missing your show."

"I'm thirsty."

Sighing, Gajeel opened another cabinet and filled a small plastic cup of full of water. The boy shook his head. "I don't want water."

Gajeel briefly bit the inside of his cheek. Pouring the water out into the sink, he gazed down at the annoying kid before him. "What do you want then?"

Talon thought for a minute. "Apple juice."

That Gajeel could do and grabbed the bottle from the fridge. Once the boy had his drink, Gajeel followed him into the living room, making sure both children were sitting quietly and absorbed in their cartoons. The last thing he wanted was to have to listen to them argue. Levy had Avery asleep, rocking him gently in the recliner.

"Honey, could you do me a favor and set up that pack n' play?" She watched the sleeping infant.

After complying and dragging the disassembled play pen from the hall closet, Gajeel returned to his wife, holding the parts. "Where you want it?"

She pointed. "There is fine. I want to be able to keep an eye on him while I'm in the kitchen later."

He set to work assembling it where she had specified, mumbling to himself when pieces wouldn't fit together as they had many times before. They didn't have children, but Levy had baby sat for Lucy since Talon was born. Rather than to have Lucy lug all of her baby things to Levy, she had decided to just buy the items to help her friend.

When Gajeel straightened and gazed down in victory on the pack n' play, he heard Levy stir from the chair. "Baby, a little help."

When he turned, he found that she was halfway out of the brown recliner in an attempt to stand up, Avery asleep but slipping from her grasp. His diapered bottom was sinking to her lap. Her body was frozen as she tried to keep the baby from slipping further.

He scooped the infant carefully into his arms and helped Levy to her feet. She smiled at the sight of her husband holding a sweet little baby. She made her way to the set up blue play pen with Gajeel following her. "Dinner is in a few hours, is there anything you want?"

She grabbed the small blanket from the back of the couch and laid it into the bottom of the pen, adding more cushion. When there was no reply, Levy looked over her shoulder, still bending over the top of the baby pen. Gajeel stood a few feet away, looking down at Avery as he slept.

The man's lips were slightly curved at the corners. Avery's little chest rose and fell, his eyes moving under his lids. Tiny fingers were curled over his t shirt in a firm fist. Gajeel was as absorbed as he had been in his video game.

"He's such a little cutie, isn't he?"

At her words, Gajeel broke the connection between him and Avery, his red eyes flickering up in surprise. He cleared his throat and closed the distance between them to gently place Avery into the blue pack n' play, ignoring the grin on Levy's face.

"What." He said as he straightened, his eyes still attached to the baby.

"Nothing." Her knowing smile was still there. She rose up to kiss his cheek, and he looked to her.

"Why are you smiling?"

Levy hummed and moved towards the kitchen. She called over her shoulder, "What do you want for dinner?"

He followed her. "I know what you're thinking, but I still don't want a baby right now."

"The look on your face said differently." Levy replied. She filled a pot with water and turned on a burner on the stove.

His hands found the waistband of his shorts. "What look?"

"Ok, I get it. No baby. What do you want for dinner."

Before he could respond, there was a rumbling and two children came barreling into the room, Macy bumping into Gajeel's legs. Talon rushed to Levy, stopping just before colliding with her. "I want macaroni and cheese!"

"Talon, be careful! Don't run in the house sweetie. You'll slip and fall."

"I want macaroni and cheese!" He said again excitedly, not listening to Levy's words. Macy had fallen to the floor from her collision. She sat at Gajeel's feet, looking up at him with watery eyes. She raised her hands, wanting to be picked up. Her eyes squinted and she started to cry.

"Oh Macy, please don't cry…" Levy cooed, holding a few boxes of macaroni and cheese with Talon hugging her leg. She wanted to pick up his sister and comfort her, but she couldn't move with him there.

Gajeel bent down and hauled the four year old into his arms. She clutched at his shirt, sniffling and burying her head into the crook of his neck. He softened his usual gruffness and said, "You heard your aunt, no crying."

"Ok." Macy sniffled again.

Levy was beaming at the sight. She shifted her gaze from Gajeel to her niece. "What would you like for dinner, Miss Mace?"

She shrugged her shoulders against Gajeel's. She was calm, as if what had happened was completely forgotten. Levy poked her side. "Come on, I know there's something you must love to eat."

Macy's lips parted in a shy grin. "Mashed potatoes."

Gajeel chuckled and briefly squeezed her while turning to his wife. "And I want steak."

After that, he set Macy down. "Alright, out of the kitchen. Let's let Aunt Levy slave away on dinner for all of us." He slapped her rear, enjoying the juggle the contact had made. She tried to kick him away with a frown.

He looked inside the playpen to check on Avery, then joined the two other children. Macy was sitting on the floor emptying her backpack. All of her folded clothing fell to the carpet, as well as her crayons and coloring books. She was effectively making a mess. Gajeel opened his mouth to say something, but someone beat him to it.

"Uncle Gajeel, what's slave mean?" Talon asked. He stood on the couch, one of the cushions was on the floor.

Gajeel glanced between them both, but answered the question and picked up the cushion to replace it. "Uh, slave is… there's a bunch of meanings for it."

"What are they?"

"Uh… kid, how about you play with whatever you brought and stop jumping on the couch." Gajeel then remembered Macy. Clothes were strewn and crayons were now dumped and in a wide pile around her.

"But you called Aunt Levy a slave."

He whipped around to stare at Talon. "No I didn't. I used it as a verb."

Talon scrunched his nose. "What's a verb?"

"You gotta be kidding me right now." Gajeel said in a breath. Had Lucy and Natsu had a braindead child? A short cry came from Macy's direction, drawing him from his line of thought. She held up a broken crayon with a coloring book opened before her on the carpet.

The interruption let Gajeel switch his attention to Macy as he had originally wanted. He bent down to gather up her clothing off the floor. When he turned, Talon was sitting cross legged and had dumped his own backpack. Legos and little cars were scattered. He rolled his eyes at the sight.

Setting Macy's clothing back in her backpack, Gajeel suppressed a growl. If this was what it was like to have children, he wanted no part of it. One was bad enough, but to have three… Levy would be on her own if she wanted it that badly.

An hour or so later and after he helped Macy and Talon pick up their toys, Gajeel was glad that it was time for dinner. Macy and Talon were sitting between Gajeel and Levy at the table, with Avery in Levy's free arm. There was casual conversation between the adults while they ate, some questions from the children, and the occasional "do I have to eat this?" from Talon.

Dinner was different for Gajeel this time. The two of them rarely used their kitchen table. They usually sat on the couch to eat their dinner and enjoyed time together, both during the day and the night. Now there were three little humans barging in on his alone time with his wife. He glanced between them while they ate, noticing the bits of food stuck around their mouths and the bottle Levy held up for Avery in between her bites.

They were humans. Tiny versions of Natsu and Lucy. He saw some of their parents in them with the things they did, what they said, the color of their hair and eyes. Gajeel's eyes shifted to Levy. She made sure the children had enough to eat and drink, putting their needs after her own. Her plate was barely touched in comparison to his. She looked happy, especially gazing down at the baby. It was sort of pleasant. Would this be how it would be with their own children?

Levy saw the thoughtfulness in his expression. "What's wrong?"

"Just thinking."

"About?" She asked and raised an eyebrow.

He stared hard at her. Although the children were oblivious, his answer was personal. He didn't want to excite Levy with his spoken thoughts. And he certainly didn't want her to know that he was thinking of finally relenting and give her a baby. He just smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Yes, I would. That's why I asked, silly." She smiled, knowing that he was up to something.

He stood up and took his plate to the sink. "Tell you later. I'm gonna work in the garage."

"I want to go too!" Talon said with a mouthful of mashed potatoes. He dropped his fork onto the plate.

Gajeel grimaced. He used the time to myself to work on projects. The garage was large and was a space he loved. It was place where he didn't have to think. "It's boring out there."

"What's out there?" Macy asked, and turned in her chair to look at Gajeel.

He felt stuck. "Machinery. Car parts."

Talon looked disappointed and disinterested. Macy though surprised him. She tilted her head. "Car parts? Like a pipe?"

"...Sorta. Yea."

"Do you build cars?"

"Sorta." He replied as he gazed at Levy for help. She took the cue and distracted the little girl. "Maybe later I can take you out there. We have to finish eating now."

Once in the garage, Gajeel glanced around for a starting place. He had an old model sitting gutted off to one side and the broken door frame from off of his old truck. It smelled very strongly of gasoline and other chemicals. He pulled on his welder's helmet and gloves and picked up the welder to weld together two pieces of the broken metal frame. White hot sparks flew all around him as he worked. He had no idea how long he had been out there. Time seemed not to matter.

Sometime later, he was seated on a stool trying to fit the heavy door back on the hinges when he felt a small presence behind him. He turned his head to find Macy standing there watching him. His eyes flickered to see if his wife was around. "Where's your Aunt?"

"Inside. Avery is crying. What are you doing?"

He snorted, knowing he couldn't use sarcasm. "Putting his door back on the hinges."

"Did it fall off?"

Chuckling, he grinned. "You could say that."

"What's this?" Macy pointed to the weld he had created near the top of the frame.

"That's where I fixed it."

He worked with her silently watching, trying not to use swear words that came freely otherwise. After struggling to bolt it back into place, he was able to shut the door and open it again. It moved smoothly.

"You fixed it." Macy said with a smile. She laughed when he opened the door to slam it shut. Taking a deep breath, she yawned and her eyes hooded. He wiped his hands off and grinned at her sleepiness.

"Come on, kid. Let's get you inside before you fall over." He scooped her up and carried her into the house.

He couldn't believe that Levy let the four year old wander out to the garage. She would have searched the whole house to find her. When he came into the living room, he saw that the television was on with Talon asleep on the couch and a blanket covering him.

"Did you know Macy was in the garage with me?" He asked, seeing blue hair in the recliner. He waited for an answer, but then noticed she was curled underneath her own blanket asleep. Macy was beginning to nod off, her breathing now coming in a regular pattern on his neck.

He smiled. Despite all of their questions, Gajeel liked the feeling the children gave to the atmosphere. Levy seemed happier, more joyful with someone else to take care of. They had talked about getting a pet, but Levy was adamant about having children because she babysat frequently. Seeing her with the baby, who was now sleeping again in the pack n' play, it had brought about some certain feelings that he wasn't used to feeling. He had seen her babysit before today, just not all three at once.

He gently shook her shoulder and helped a groggy Levy put the children to bed, including assisting them change and brush their teeth. As Levy tucked them both into the bed of their spare bedroom, he hung back in the doorway. She kissed their foreheads and started to rise from the mattress when she was stopped. "Wait."

Macy's eyes darted to Gajeel. "Him too."

Levy giggled. "She wants to say goodnight to you, honey."

"Goodnight." He said simply.

Macy held up her hands, asking for a hug. Sighing, he switched Levy places and leaned down to gently hug his small niece. Talon was already asleep, turned over to face the wall. Her little fingers entwined themselves into Gajeel's hair behind his neck, holding him there to her. When he pulled away, she grinned and said, "Goodnight Uncle Gajeel."

He bit the inside of his cheek. She was making his chest tighten with her cute child appearance. Levy sighed behind him. "Alright, we'll be up for a while before we go to bed if you need anything."

They left the room with the door cracked open to let in a little of the light from the rest of the house. Levy poked Gajeel's side after she checked on Avery. "Macy seems to favor you."

"Did you know she came into the garage to watch me work?" Gajeel asked as he reclined back in his chair.

"She did!?" Levy gasped.

"She watched me put the truck door back on."

Levy stood by the recliner's arm. "Did she see you weld at all? That's not good for her little eyes."

He changed the tv channel with the remote. "Dunno, probably not."

"Hmm. Good." Levy hummed. She scratched her lower back, inching up her back until she couldn't reach. Her scratching was distracting Gajeel from his show, though he tried to ignore it. He didn't mind Levy sitting there, but he'd rather her sit in the chair with him or even on him; she was shaking the chair with her movements. "Could you get the rest please?"

Without looking, he began to scratch her back, going over places where she couldn't. A piece of cloth was in the way. It was tight against her skin. When he realized what it was, he smirked and pinched the middle together with his thumb and forefinger. The clasps came undone with a spring.

Levy's hands came up to her breasts. "You didn't have to do that, ya know."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't know how to wear those all the time. Just go warrior woman like Erza."

"If I had a larger chest, I probably would." She felt her chest.

"Don't give me this crap again," Gajeel turned to look at her, his hand sliding up to meet hers. "You're perfect. Stop doing that."

His arm wrapped around her body, he pulled her down into his lap. Her bottom fell onto his thighs and he wrapped his other arm around her. Her tank top covered her, and she pulled her bra through the arm holes to throw it to the floor.

She pushed her cheek against his chest. "So you don't ever want them?"

"Want what?" He asked nonchalantly.

"Children."

He was quiet for a moment, hesitating in his answer. She took a deep breath to prepare for another negative outcome. Her eyes widened a bit when he finally responded. "I wouldn't say that."

She lifted her head. "Really?"

He nodded. "Maybe one or two aren't bad."

When he glanced from the tv to look at her, he saw a wide smile spread her lips. "You remember I originally wanted four."

"Please don't remind me. I can deal with two."

"Mhmm." Levy traced her fingers over his shirt and then purred. "That means at least two times…"

An eyebrow over one red eye raised as he gazed down at her. He knew what she was thinking. "What. You mean right now?"

She nodded and bit her lip.

He stiffened. "You're serious? With them in the next room?"

She was already straddling him, her hands reaching up his torso and making his body react to her feminine seductive tactics. "Mhmmm…" She kissed his neck. "We'll have to be careful. You know I'm not all that quiet when it comes to-"

He cut her off with his lips to hers, not needing to hear the rest. With a click of the remote, the television was turned off and he carried her straddling form to the bedroom. He tried to shush the giggles coming from the love of his life clutching to him.

* * *

 **AN** : Could be some errors, I'll get them later for sure.


	7. Mistakes And Lessons

**AN** : This is for Gajevy Week 2016. I have never written for this in the past, but if you've read my other works on here, then you kinda know my style. If you haven't, please check out my Gajevy fanfictions!

*I do not own any of the pictures.

*I do not own any of Fairy Tail - that's all Hiro Mashima.

* * *

 _ ** **AN** : **This is beyond late. But better late than never finishing it. There are probably -most likely- some errors. I haven't begun to edit these yet, I'm focusing on my main story first._

 _ **Gajevy Week**_ #7 - Mistakes and Lessons

Gajeel held his phone up to his ear after his thumb pressed the contact's number. This was now the tenth time he had called just this hour and was hoping -praying- that she'd finally pick up, only to hear the voicemail again. He violently swore, dropping the phone onto the passenger seat beside him.

He gazed out the windshield, turning his truck onto their street. How would he fix his mistake if he couldn't get her to talk to him? It wasn't as if he didn't want to repair the damage he had done to their marriage. He was actively trying. But did she want to?

He retrieved his android to call again. He was not going to lay down and give up on her. On them.

Her pleasant voice spoke on the other end as her voicemail began. He rolled his eyes, knowing he should have expected her to ignore him, and prepared his words for the recording.

"Hey baby, please hear me out. Let me talk to you, you don't have to say anything. Just listen, alright? I learned my lesson. I give up. I can't hold out against you. You know why? 'Cause I love you. You're everything to me, Levy. I'm sorry about what I did. I get it, I was an asshole. But if we talk this out, we can attempt to mend this. It's possible and I'm ready and willing, so long as you are too. Please, Levy. I do love you. I don't want to do this world without you. Call me back when you get this."

Sighing, Gajeel pulled into the drive. Levy's car was parked on the lot beside him. So she was home. Part of him was relieved, the other part… the other part was angry. If she was indeed home, then she would have her phone on her. They could have been talking out their issues instead of ignoring each other. No good could come from not caring about their marriage enough to speak to one another. No matter how pissed off and hurt they were.

Walking up the stone pathway that led to the porch and green front door, he reached out to open it. Instead of giving under Gajeel's thumb, the handle stood solid in his grasp, effectively stopping him in his tracks. He muttered, "You gotta be kidding me…"

Hoping the lock hadn't been changed on him, he quickly tried his house key with a shaky hand. The tumblers matched, enabling the key to turn. The knot in his stomach untied as he entered their home.

There was an air about the main room. Something off. A feeling he couldn't explain. At first glance around the living room, everything was the same as when he had left. Walking further inside, Gajeel noticed the differences.

The quilted throw blanket he had bought her, usually folded on the back of the couch, was gone. A few picture frames mounted on the wall were missing from their places, leaving a space on the wall behind oddly noticeable. There were no more candles in the decorative holder on the coffee table.

He palmed his keys, turning to his left. He sucked in a sharp breath.

The bookshelf that had once held Levy's many books was bare. His red eyes stared blankly at it, his mind trying to come up with a solution to what his eyes were seeing. Did she really do it? Did she really leave like she had threatened she would?

"Levy!" He shouted. Panic was steadily rising within him, but he stamped it down. He couldn't let himself overreact. Not yet.

Rushing to the hallway, he opened the bathroom door. Nothing seemed out of place. Brushing aside the shower curtain, he only saw his things. There was no flowery shampoo, no pink soap, not even her hair ties that she always left on a hook by the shower head. He checked the cabinet behind the sink. Her toothbrush was gone, her body spray, her comb and makeup. All were gone.

"Fuck, Levy! Don't do this!" He cried. His heart rate climbed and he could hear it in his ears as he left the bathroom for their bedroom.

She was nowhere to be seen. The dresser drawers were open and empty, as was her closet. All of her clothing was packed away in the suitcases on the bed. Two of the three were zipped up. The third was still opened with folded clothes sitting organized inside. Some were waiting to be packed, stacked beside it on the bed. A duffle bag was overflowing with her books and a large shopping sack was filled with all of her hygiene and hair products.

Gajeel stared at all of it. He couldn't breathe. Levy was really leaving. She was leaving him. All of her things were packed up as far as he could tell. If it wasn't for all of it still sitting in the house, he would have thought she was gone for good. Her car was still parked in the drive though. Where was she?

He found her phone on the bedside table. Without thinking of anything but the very real possibility of his wife leaving -or worse, he unlocked it. There was his missed calls, his voicemail notifications, his texts. All unopened. There were texts from Lucy and Mira.

 _Levy, I really think you should talk to him. Don't throw it all away because of some guy. Gajeel made a mistake. We all have. Don't punish him for it. Instead you should help him understand how it hurt you. You need to do the same. Talk it out. But let me know when you want to talk with him, and I will be over there in a heartbeat. Natsu too. I'd rather us be there in case things get out of hand. It's not something Gajeel will want to hear, but you have to tell him so things can begin to heal._

Gajeel's eyes narrowed while he read Lucy's message. What was she talking about? Wasn't he the one who had hurt Levy with his actions? He looked through Mira's message. It was basically the same thing. Both of Levy's friends had given her similar advice. But the issue it seemed wasn't him. It was something else. Something he knew nothing about. He was tempted to look through her other messages, but he stopped himself out of love and respect.

He murmured as his finger locked it and tossed the device onto the bed, "What the hell is it then if not me?"

His mind was running a mile and minute as he tripped over himself through the hallway and into the main room. Stumbling into the kitchen, he leaned a hand on the back of a kitchen chair. He glanced around for any sign that his wife had been there. Cabinet doors were closed. Pictures on the fridge were still held there by magnets. He frowned when his eyes settled on it; the back door was slightly ajar.

He pulled the door out of the way and opened the screen portion. On the back porch was their outdoor furniture. Sitting in one of the cushioned chairs was Levy. Her back was to him, hunched over with her elbows on her knees. It was obvious that she was crying. Her sobs had grown loud now that he was outside.

"Levy?" Gajeel asked in genuine concern. His brow furrowed. "Are you ok?"

His deep voice startled her. She jumped in her seat and spun her head around, gripping the iron arm rest. Her eyes were red and wet, and her cheeks were streaked with tears. "Gajeel!"

He cautiously moved towards her. "What are you doing? What's going on?"

She shook her head and wiped her eyes with the back of her finger. "You s-shouldn't be here."

"Yea? Well I am now."

"No. Please l-leave." She tried to push him away, but he caught her wrist.

"Last I knew, this was still my property." He spoke with authority, but kept his eyes from hardening. She glanced away as he stared at her.

"Levy, don't do this. Just talk to me."

She hastily rose from her chair, pulling her hand away from his grasp. "I said go!"

Fresh tears slid down her cheeks and she sniffed. Her broken, brown eyes stared at him, burning him as he beheld them. Surely he hadn't caused her that much pain. With what he had done, it was a minor setback. A negligence on his part. It was truly fixable. No, there to be something else.

"I heard what you said. I'm not leaving until we talk this shit out."

He crossed his arms and held her gaze. Her eyes fluttered for a moment before they dropped to the ground. Could she not even look at her husband? Was what he did really that horrible?

"There's no need." Levy calmly stated. She wiped her cheek and swiftly darted. "I'll leave then."

Gajeel slid between her and the door before she could reach it. Her abrupt halt made her blue curls fly into her face. He tried to keep his face as he had had it while he spoke with his arms still crossed. "And just where ya gonna go?"

"I-I don't know, I'll think of something." She shrank away from him and averted her eyes from his scrutiny. She was uncomfortable, fidgety.

"Why have you packed up all your things? What's goin' through your head?"

Silence followed after his questions. Either she knew and wasn't telling him or she honestly didn't know. When she wouldn't open her mouth, he decided to press further. But frustration was rising and threatened to overflow. His wife refused to speak to him. What good would that do in this ugly situation?

His words snapped out. "You gotta talk, dammit!"

Anger flashed through Levy's features. She sped past him to the door, ignoring his attempts to catch her with his strong arms. "I don't want to talk to you! Not yet!"

She burst through the back door. When she saw that Gajeel was in hot pursuit behind her, she ran to the hallway for their room. He stopped the bedroom door before it could fully slam close and barged in. His eyes widened as a thick book rushed towards him.

Dodging it and letting the novel strike the wall behind him with crumpled pages, he scowled at her. "What the fuck was that!?"

"Gajeel!"

Another book flew the distance from across the room. This time he caught the book and tossed it to the ground. "Levy!"

"Can't you get it?" She cried out with gasping breaths from her previous sobs and the sudden bout of running. "It's over! Between you and me, it's over!"

He simply ignored her comments. Who was she trying to kid? He knew her words weren't true. Pointing to the bed, he indicated to her phone. A blue light in the left left corner signified that there was at least one text waiting to be read. His breathing settled down, but was already threatening to rush on him in fear. "You've got a message. It's probably Lucy. You should follow her advice, ya know."

Fear flashed in Levy's eyes before she scowled again. "You went through my phone?!"

"I didn't go through it, I-"

"That's private, Gajeel! It's-"

"It's also a bill that I pay! So you can have a damn phone to talk to me when we're apart!" He roared, featuring a vein or two showing from his neck. "I should just cancel the line, seeing as though you won't speak to me with it, let alone face to face! I said I was sorry, dammit! Multiple fuckin times! I shouldn't have said and done what I did towards you. I told you I'm going to try harder to be the man you married. I am trying! What else do you want me to do or say?!"

Levy's bottom lip quivered. She promptly picked up the folded clothing next to the suitcase and pressed them into it. Teeth bit down on her lip to keep it still as she tried to keep busy, despite his shocking presence.

He inched closer to the messy, occupied bed, his eyes never leaving hers. Concern was etched on his face. "Did I really hurt you that bad?"

A tear fell onto her cheek and her mouth worked, but no sound escaped.

"Levy," Gajeel's features softened. "You know I didn't mean it. I was angry, we all say things we don't mean when we're mad. I let my temper get away from me. That's all. I figured you were still pissed when you told me not to come home that night. But it's been four days, Lev. You gotta put things in the past and forgive me."

Levy started as she gazed at him. "I-I-I can-"

A tune began to play, making her violently jump. Her phone lit up with a picture of Lucy and her phone number. Gajeel nodded to it. "Better answer it."

She shook her head.

"Quit being a damn child and answer your phone for once." He spat, snatching it from the mattress and tossing it none too gently towards her.

Her hands flew up to catch it before it hit her in the face. She frowned at her husband before pressing the call button. "H-hello Lucy…"

Her blonde friend's voice was high pitched. " _Levy! Finally! Why haven't you answered me? I thought the worst. Is everything ok?_ "

Levy briefly closed her eyes. "I'm fine Lucy. I just, I've just been busy."

" _Doing what?_ "

She swallowed nervously, very aware that Gajeel was listening. "I'm packing."

Lucy was quiet for a moment. " _Where are you going to go?_ "

"I don't know. I just have to to get a new perspective."

" _You don't have to leave. You need to talk to your husband. You can work it out. He'll understand. He loves you._ "

Gajeel narrowed his eyes the moment he heard Lucy's short sentence. Levy's eyes flickered up in time to see it. Her heart raced.

"I'll understand what?" He asked calmly.

"Lucy," Levy quietly spoke. She wet her lips with her tongue. "I have to go. I'll let you know what's going on after."

" _After what? Lev-_ " Her friend's voice was cut off at the ending of the call.

"I will understand what, Levy." His deep voice was rougher, firmer. He wasn't asking her to tell him what Lucy had meant.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, the bluenette turned to him. "You want me to talk? I'll talk. That day we had that fight was hard for me. It was the first time I had ever been called certain names. It scared me to hear those words fly from your mouth with such blatant disrespect. You were on the verge of violent-"

"I was not-"

Levy shouted at the interruption. "Let me finish!"

Gajeel clamped his lips together, though a growl erupted from his throat. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood with a stance that could scare any man.

"I was angry at you for not apologizing to me. Gajeel, you cannot call me those names. I am your wife. I am due more respect than that. When you snatched my wrist to move me out of your way…" She took a shaky breath. "It was good that you had left. I finally felt safe in my own home."

Sighing, he hung his head and winced at her last words. "I felt horrible after it was said and done, and I feel that now. Remorse has been the only emotion I have felt for the entire time we've been apart."

Swallowing again, Levy weakly nodded. "Me too."

"No, you had every right to throw my ass out." He attempted to move to touch her, but she held up a hand.

"But I didn't. I'm the one who should have left. I drove you to say those things… by being the very things you called me. I was." Levy struggled to get the words out as her lips quivered.

"Baby…" Gajeel wanted this whole mess to end, but she wouldn't let him near.

"I-I didn't want to be alone through the night. So I c-called Lucy, but she was out on a date with Natsu. Mira too, but she was working. I d-don't have many friends…"

Gajeel's red eyes narrowed again. He placed his hands on his hips. "You are already past what I had said to you, aren't you."

She merely nodded, still obviously struggling with something.

"Then what the fuck is it already!" Gajeel exclaimed in frustration. What else could it be? The answer was just out of his reach, yet Levy was keeping it from him on purpose. It was grating on him now, and he had to look deep inside himself not to let his anger fluster him, for Levy's sake.

Levy's chest heaved. It was clear she was organizing her thoughts. "I… Well, I went to the library to get a few books, and I-I ran into Gray."

"Really. What's that dipshit doing in a library?" Gajeel snorted. He knew she loved to go to the library. The circulation desk workers all knew her by name. It was the one place aside from her own personal collection of reading material where she could find enough silence to read for hours. The only thing out of place was that their mutual friend wasn't the type to read much.

"I had messaged him. I wanted someone to talk to, to keep my mind busy. I was around so many books, but I couldn't focus on any one of them. Ironic huh…" She admitted, twisting her fingers together in front of herself. "But he ended up surprising me there instead."

Gajeel didn't say anything. He nodded and let her continue.

"He just kept me company till the library closed."

"And you came back home." He shrugged.

Levy bit her lip and picked up her phone. She started to carefully walk around him to the hallway before continuing. "Yes, he walked me home."

Gajeel followed her into the living room. She set her phone on the end table. He noticed that she constantly kept something between them, whether it be the sofa, the coffee table, or a chair. It was odd. But he kept silent to let Levy speak. It was nice to hear her voice speaking other than on her voicemail.

"Gajeel, I don't want to talk anymore…" Her stomach had begun to twist into knots as she relived that night. It wasn't something she wanted to remember. She had made a mistake too. It wasn't just Gajeel's fault that their marriage was on the verge of breaking.

"Well why not?"

"I just don't."

"Did he leave?" Gajeel asked lightly, thinking he could get the story out of her.

She kept her eyes down, letting him know the answer was beyond what he was wanting to hear. His brow raised. "Gray didn't stay the night."

When she didn't respond right away, he felt something inside him jolt. He had to work to keep his voice down. "Levy. Gray did not stay the night. Did he."

Before she could react, her phone lit up with a new message. It was across the room where she had set it. Standing beside the table, Gajeel looked down at it. It wasn't from Lucy or Mira. The number wasn't saved in her contacts. It was a number he recognized though. He slowly turned to her.

"Tell me what is going on. Right now, Levy." He stated forcefully.

"W-who is it?" She weakly raised her hand to point to her phone in question.

"Who it is," Gajeel spat, "Is Gray. Why is he still messaging you?"

A tone indicated another message had been received. And from the same number. "What the ever-loving fuck, Levy!"

"Gajeel, wait! Don't open it!" She cried as she bounded towards the table.

He ignored her and took her phone, quickly moving away from her as he opened the messages. His eyes narrowed as he read. He could hear the blood rushing to his head as sudden, frightening information was presented to him. Rage was slowly bubbling within his chest and his stomach bottomed out. Had he drove her to this? Had he inadvertently driven his wife to... cheat?

"Levy… Lev... " Gajeel wrestled with himself, with his emotions that were jostling together. He looked at her but found that he couldn't hold his gaze. His eyes closed and he shook his head once. "Did he stay? With you?"

The pain was almost too much to bear as he saw her head nod her affirmative. "Gajeel, please listen to me. It's-"

"You slept with Gray!?" He roared, the loudest he had ever been in the years she had known him. The pure instinct pulsed through him and rage filled him to the brim. "FUCK!"

Levy's tears now streamed freely. She shrank away from him with a suppressed cry when he chucked her phone across the room, sending the device flying to smash into the wall. It left an imprint in the drywall before it splattered into pieces.

"Honey, it's not what you-" Levy began from mid sob.

"You don't get to call me that!" He pulled his phone from his pocket with one hand and pointed to her with the other. "You stay right there!"

She relented, not wanting him to become violent or worse. "Please, just _listen_ to me!"

He searched through his contacts and selected one, bringing the phone to his ear. He was quick to speak when his friend answered. "Gray, you fuckin' son of a bitch!"

" _Whoa, whoa, hello to you too. What's your problem?_ " Gray answered in kind to Gajeel's tone.

"My problem? You took advantage of my wife! What the hell? How could you do that to her? To me!"

" _What? No I didn't. I asked if she was sure if she-_ "

Gajeel couldn't believe his ears. "You asked her permission to have sex with her? Are you fucking nuts?!"

"This could all be fixed if you would just hear me out, you thick brick of a man!" Levy exclaimed at the top of her lungs. The effort of raising her voice to a near screan had scratched her throat and it would be sore the next day, but Gajeel was overreacting. Just as she knew he would. This situation was exactly what she was hoping to avoid.

" _Levy? Is she alright? Don't you lay a hand on her!_ " Gray threatened with a bark of his own.

"And who are you to tell me what to do about my _wife_?"

Levy got into her husband's face, now unafraid of his temper and uncontrolled emotions. She took a stance and punched him in the arm as hard as she could. "Idiot! I didn't sleep with Gray!"

It took a moment for Gajeel to hear what she had said. He looked her in the eye as she shook her hand and rubbed it from punching his hard, muscled body, grimacing. He abruptly ended the call with Gray, cutting off the man's angry words, and tossed it to the couch cushions below.

Now that Levy had his attention, she continued with an even tone. "He did stay over, but he slept in here, on the couch. I didn't want to be the only one in the house at night. Usually you are here. It just scared me to be alone for the first time in years. So he slept over. In here." She gestured around the room with her arm.

Gajeel just stared at her, taking it all in. "You're serious?"

"Yes."

"Just that night?" Gajeel raised an eyebrow.

"Every night, except last night."

Her husband shifted his weight as he studied her facial expressions. He knew her well, and knew she was being honest. But the way she had hesitated in telling him about it made him slightly suspicious. Why would she be crying outside if she was over what had happened between the two of them? There was something missing.

"Why not last night?"

Levy took a visible breath, letting her shoulders drop. "That's the thing. He... " Her words trailed off and she looked up as if trying to recall memories.

"Go on." Gajeel commented calmly.

"I think he started getting the wrong idea about why he was staying here. I liked the company in the evening, but I've been either at work or at the library during the day."

Gajeel leaned on the back of the couch, half sitting on the top. "Ok… I need more info here."

She sighed, not knowing how to explain things to Gajeel in a way where he wouldn't blow everything out of proportion. A blow up could be inevitable. "I know he's your friend, Gajeel. He wouldn't do anything to make you angry on purpose. I had told him we were fighting, and I think he took it as we were going to get divorced. He thought it was over between us, so he thought he could get away with kissing me. I wasn't expecting it, I'm sorry."

A darkness grew in Gajeel's eyes and his shoulders squared up with the rest of his body. Levy hurried with the rest of her story before he could go off into the deep end.

"But I told him I couldn't do that, that I wouldn't. I told him to leave, that I would be fine alone. I don't want to fight with you anymore, Gajeel. For a time, I thought it did and divorce crossed my mind. But I don't want that either. I just want to get past this so we can live again. We will change things so that this never happens again. I love you, I don't want to lose you forever."

He took several slow, deep breaths to steady himself. What had happened greatly pissed him off. Not Levy. Levy did nothing wrong. She was too innocent even now to have done a betrayal so willingly. He also knew when she was attempting to lie. Her stuttering always cluttered her words, but here she spoke with absolute certainty. He could see it it her large, brown eyes.

"Why sneak around on me? Why would you keep me from knowing that he messages you?"

She played with her fingers in the air in front of her. "I wasn't sure how you would take your friend trying something on me, given that we were recently at odds. I didn't want things to get out of hand."

"And packing up your shit? You planned on leaving me for good? How did you expect me to take that?" He glanced towards the hallway, remembering how it felt to see all of her items missing from their original spots and the suitcases filled and ready to go. His eyes looked wounded.

Tears accumulated and Levy's voice threw thicker. She felt ashamed. "I didn't know what to do. I thought that you had changed for the worse, and I was so scared for the future. I thought getting out for a while would clear my head, relieve stress, and maybe then I could figure out what to do. I dodged your calls because I was afraid you just wanted to berate me for something, or for kicking you out of your house."

Gajeel snapped his head towards her. "Why would I want to do that? I wanted to work it out with you. If you had listened to the voicemails, you would have known that. I can't just let you go. I love you too damn much to be that petty."

She nodded, her gaze wandering up to catch his. "I'm so sorry. I messed up."

With one more breath, he rose from the sofa and walked purposefully to her. His arms enveloped her, pressing her to himself. He felt her relax with his embrace before he opened his mouth to speak. "Don't be, I'm the one who should be sorry. I started all of this."

"We both made mistakes here. I'm the one who pushed you to the edge." Levy said. Her words were muffled by his shirt.

"You were just trying to talk to me. I was an ass as usual; I pushed you."

She tried to shake her head against him. Her small giggle was made audible when she raised her head. "We've learned our lesson though."

Gajeel smiled and leaned his chin on the top of her head. "Yep. I won't call you a cunt-ass bitch again. Unless you really are being one."

"Hey!" Levy tore herself away from his chest to glare up at him, but his arms held her closer, preventing her from leaving his grasp. He chuckled and bent down to kiss her forehead.

"Relax, Shorty. I'm kidding."

"You better be." She threatened. She shrugged out of his arms and took a deep breath. She felt lighter than she had been in the last few days. A genuine smile appeared on her features.

Gajeel too felt much better than he had. Seeing her smile was something he missed. Things could now finally begin again. He started forward to turn on the lamp to brighten up the room until his eyes saw the broken plastic bits from Levy's phone on the floor beyond it. "Shit…"

"What?" Levy quickly turned to follow his gaze. In his rage, he had destroyed her cellphone. "Oh."

"I'll buy you a new one tomorrow. A better one."

She nodded and went over to pick up the pieces. A large hand slid to her back pocket and lightly squeezed. Still leaning over, she her head to him and gave him a look.

"Gajeel. We-"

He quickly cut her off before she assumed what was on his mind. "I know, I wasn't meaning that. I need to get my things from the truck. And then I'm going to help you unpack yours."

"Ok. Then what?"

He took his hand from her and straightened. "Then we'll get some food."

"Or we could get some food first and then we can unpack our things. And then tomorrow we can replace this broken thing." Levy happily amended the plans. She held the phone pieces in her hands and started for the kitchen for a plastic bag to put them in.

He nodded. "Alright. Sounds like a plan. Just one more thing to add."

"What's that?"

"We'll remind each other everyday that if we could get through this last week, we can get through anything. Together."

Levy's lips pulled into a smile. "Yes. Together."


End file.
